A Mother's Heart
by Rikki8879
Summary: Minerva discovers her maternal feelings... final chapter up now... finally.
1. Chapter One

**A Mother's Heart**

A/N: Of course I don't own the lot, just borrowed them.

I'm not really happy with that but I hope you like it nonetheless.

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Minerva sat in her chambers, trying to read a book. The summer holidays had just started, and her husband of more than 40 years, Albus Dumbledore, had finally been able to return from his exile. But even though the rumble from their leaving students had died down hours ago, Minerva just wasn't able to concentrate on her book. It was actually one of her favourites but still…

Her thoughts kept wandering back to Harry who had seemed so downright unhappy when he had left. And it was more than understandable. He had just lost the last connection to his parents. Though he hadn't known Sirius for long he had been very close to him. And Sirius had cared very much for the boy. And now? Did Harry have an adult he could turn to when he was in need of help? Minerva didn't know. The Dursleys were out of the question, of course, but there wasn't really anyone else. Before the recent events Harry would have probably turned to Albus but after what had happened during the last school year he didn't seem to trust him that much anymore.

Minerva sighed. She desperately wanted the boy to be happy. He had already gone through so much.

"What's wrong, darling?" Albus had heard her sigh and looked up from his papers he was working on. "It's certainly not the book, is it?" he observed.

His wife shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking." She smiled at him weakly and tried to return to her book. Albus frowned a bit. He had known her for far too long to let her get away with that. So he rose from his chair and went over to her, kneeling in front of her and putting his hands on her knees.

"My dear, what is it? Surely you can tell me?" He smiled at her encouragingly.

Minerva sighed again and laid the book on the coffee table. It wouldn't do to try and keep Albus in the dark. He always knew if something was bothering her so she could as well tell him.

"I was thinking about Harry, love. He looked so lonely and desperate when he left the castle." She covered his hand with hers and squeezed it lightly. Albus nodded. He had noticed that the boy hadn't looked too well but it was only understandable after what he had gone through.

"But you can't help him at the moment. It will be best for him to stay with his family. And I'm sure Molly and Arthur will make him stay for some time too." Albus tried to get up but hadn't counted on the resistance his wife held.

"Albus, after all what happened last year you can't just leave him with that horrible family. You know they make him suffer. You have known all along. I should never have let you go through with your plan of leaving him there. We could have taken him in instead." Minerva stood and began pacing the room.

"Minerva, please. We've already discussed this several times. And at that time we agreed that it was best for him to stay with Lilly's sister." Albus tried to remain calm and in control of the situation, knowing the temper of his wife.

"But why now? They won't help him cope with his grief over Sirius. They won't understand. They will just make him more miserable." She turned to face him, and he could see tears in her beautiful green eyes.

Quickly Albus went to her and took her in his arms, holding her close and whispering comforting words. He thought about the situation. Sure it wouldn't hurt to let Minerva check on Harry. Her fears would be calmed and Harry would know that they cared. And he did care for the boy. In fact Harry meant more to him than anybody, except perhaps Minerva, realized.

Albus led her to the sofa and helped her sit down. He still held her close, wanting her to take comfort from his presence.

"Minerva, love, why don't you just go and see Harry tomorrow? Let him know we're there for him whenever he needs somebody to talk to." Lovingly he wiped away Minerva's tears and kissed her lightly. She nodded slowly.

"Yes, that would be nice…" she smiled. "But couldn't we just…" her voice trailed of as if she was afraid to ask. And indeed she wasn't sure how Albus would react to her request. She wasn't even sure if Harry would like the idea but she had to ask Albus first.

"What, love?" Albus searched her eyes for a hint.

Minerva took a deep breath. She had thought about that quite a lot and had come to the conclusion that it might be the best solution.

"Couldn't we just let Harry stay with us over summer? I mean not at Grimmauld place even though I know it would be the safest place for him with all the wards and so on… But perhaps my family home. Or your summer house. I think Harry has already enough on his plate to deal with – without his aunt and uncle treating him badly." She looked at him so pleadingly he had to smile. He knew that she had already made up her mind but that his opinion was important to her.

Albus looked at his fingers. Of course he knew that Harry was hardly treated like human being by his relatives but he wasn't sure the boy would want to be with his teachers all summer. But it might be worth a try. Merlin knew that he wanted to help Harry cope with everything. And Minerva had always felt like a mother for him.

"Darling, it's up to Harry. You should ask him, and whatever you decide is fine by me." He kissed her gently to assure her, and when he pulled back he saw one of those radiant smiles he loved so much in his wife.

"Thank you, love." Minerva threw her arms around his neck, happy that he had agreed. But she also knew that it was partly because he still felt guilty for not being able to be there for her after she had been hit by the stunners.

Albus took out his watch and noticed that it was already past midnight. He yawned involuntarily.

"I think we should go to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day." He held out his hand for her and together they went to the bedroom. Cuddling up against each other they both fell asleep immediately.

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Harry had just come back with his uncle. It was very unusual for Vernon Dursley to take his nephew with him for a shopping trip but his son Dudley hadn't felt up to it, and he had needed someone to help him carry the heavy boxes. So Harry had been taken to the store instead. When Vernon drove up the drive way of number 4 Privet Drive he saw a cat sitting on the stone pillar. Harry saw the cat and thought that it looked oddly familiar but he wasn't quite sure about that.

Vernon stopped the car, got out and opened the trunk of the car in order to unload all the boxes containing the computer stuff he had bought for Dudley. When he glanced at the pillar the cat was still there, looking at him intently.

"Shoo!" Vernon stomped his foot in order to make it go away but the cat didn't move. In fact it didn't even flinch, just gave him a very annoyed look. Suddenly Harry realized who that was. He smiled at the cat.

"Hello, professor," he said, smiling for the first time in days.

Vernon looked at him in utter bewilderment.

"What do you mean by that, boy? I'm sure even at your school you're not taught by animals."

"Well…" Harry didn't have to reply because in that moment Petunia had opened the front door, the cat jumped off the pillar and ran inside. Petunia gave a little scream and looked after the cat. Harry just grinned and followed the cat while Vernon heaved the box out of the trunk and brought it inside. When he entered his living room he saw Harry being hugged tightly by a strange woman in wizard's robes while the cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?" Vernon demanded to know.

Harry untangled himself from Minerva's arms and turned to his uncle.

"Uncle Vernon, I'd like you to meet Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, head of Gryffindor house and my transfiguration teacher." Harry grinned because his uncle was obviously really uncomfortable under Minerva's stern look.

"Good day, Mr Dursley." Minerva offered him her hand but didn't expect him to shake it. And he didn't.

"That didn't answer my question of what you are doing in my house." Vernon said icily. He didn't want one of THEM in his house.

Minerva cleared her throat. She hadn't expected a warm welcome but surely she hadn't thought of something that… cold. And it wasn't only towards her; she could sense that Harry encountered the same resentment in his relatives.

"I wanted to make sure Harry is alright," she answered, holding Vernon's gaze.

"Well, are you convinced now?" he barked at her, before leaving the room. Even though he wouldn't admit it he was a bit afraid of the witch. After all SHE was allowed to use magic, and he was sure she would.

Harry motioned for Minerva to follow him to his room where they would be undisturbed by the Dursleys. Not that they would dare to come near Minerva but he wanted to make sure they wouldn't throw funny looks at her.

Minerva took a look around before she sat down on his bed. She smiled at him.

"So, how are you, Harry?" she asked.

Harry looked at her, then went to the window and looked out. He sighed.

"I'm fine, thanks." He turned around but didn't look at her. She stood and walked over to him, putting her arm around his shoulder.

"Harry, you don't have to be brave all the time. I know that you miss Sirius terribly," she said softly. When she felt Harry tense at her words she pulled him into another embrace which made him tense even further at first but then he relaxed in her arms and started to sob. He had never been embraced like that in his life, and it felt good. So Minerva just held him while he cried out his grief over his godfather.

When his sobs finally died down he pulled away from Minerva, slightly embarrassed by his display of emotions.

"I'm sorry, professor," he said.

"No need to be sorry, dear. Everyone needs to cry once in a while." She pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over to Harry.

"So… have you heard anything of Mr Weasley and Miss Granger?" Minerva asked casually, sitting down again. She didn't want to interfere with any plans Harry might have with his fellow Gryffindors so she thought it best to ask first.

"No, nothing." Harry looked crestfallen. Of course he hadn't expected them to write immediately but they hadn't answered any of his owls yet.

"Would you…" Minerva started but didn't know how to continue.

Harry looked at her expectantly. It wasn't like professor McGonagall to be at a loss of words like now so it had to be something.

"Harry, would you like to spend the holidays with Professor Dumbledore and me?" she asked. "Not at Grimmauld Place, of course, but in my family home."

Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard. Professor McGonagall invited him to her home. That was indeed something. Now it was Harry's turn to be left speechless.

"Well…" he started but Minerva interrupted him.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. We just thought you might like to get away from your… relatives," she said with a sideward glance towards the door.

Harry shook his head.

"I would love to leave this place but I don't need your pity. I can cope alone," Harry said proudly. He didn't want to be pitied. He had had that all his life. And he was sick of it.

"Harry, we don't pity you. We care for you." Minerva simply said. She didn't know whether she could do anything to convince Harry. It was so difficult for him to trust adults, and his relationship with Albus was slightly damaged after the last school year. But Minerva hoped that he would trust her enough to open up a bit. And to believe her.

"But…" Again Harry was speechless. He had never seen stern professor McGonagall so open about her feelings. Sure he had known she liked him but he had never thought…

"It's true, Harry. I love you. I always have." She stood and walked over to him.

There she stood in front of him. She had laid her emotions open to him. Now it was up to him what to do. Harry felt kind of helpless but immensely moved by her revelation. So perhaps he wasn't alone after all. He felt tears dwell up in his eyes again but this time he wasn't ashamed. He had wanted to hear those words from someone so badly for so long… And now, finally…

Harry stepped closer to Minerva and hugged her tentatively. She smiled and pulled him closer, closing her eyes as she did so. So the boy hadn't lost his trust in her after all. Everything would be alright now. She would make sure of that.

"Thanks, professor." Harry whispered against her hair. He knew that it couldn't have been easy for her to convince Dumbledore to let her come, and he appreciated it. And perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to spend the summer holidays with his two professors.

"Nothing to thank for, Harry," she smiled. "Oh, and of course Mr Weasley and Miss Granger can come too if they want." She felt him tighten his grip on her in reward.

When Harry finally released her from that bear hug he had a huge smile on his face.

"I would love to come, Professor."

"I think you should call me Minerva if we are to spend our holidays together. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 10 o'clock." She opened his bedroom door only to find Dudley in front of it. He gave a squeal when he saw her and ran in his room, shutting the door tight.

Harry snorted. Minerva just gave him a stern look but couldn't help but smile herself.

"See you tomorrow then, pro… Minerva." He wasn't sure what to do but leaned forward slightly and kissed her on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow, Harry." She gave his arm a light squeeze and turned into her animagus form to reach the apparation point.

Later that evening Minerva and Albus lay in bed, snuggled up against each other while Minerva told him about her day. She told him about her brief encounter with Mr Dursley and the talk with Harry.

Albus seemed pleased that the boy had agreed to stay with them for the summer holidays. He kissed his wife lightly on the temple and pulled her closer.

"You really love him, do you?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Just as you do." She raised her head to look at him with a wicked grin on her face. Though Albus had never said anything like it she knew he felt that way for the boy. It had always been that way, ever since James and Lilly had been killed. But he had never dared to show it, perhaps because he feared for Harry's safety, perhaps because he didn't want to be blamed to favour him.

Albus smiled at his wife. She was too clever to be outsmarted, he should have known it.

"Yes, I admit it." Brushing his lips over hers he settled more comfortably into the pillows.

"Oh, and I've already sent out owls to Miss Granger's parents and to Molly and Arthur. I told Harry that his friends could come too. I guessed it would be way too boring for him with us alone," she chuckled.

Albus groaned. He knew the kids were good at heart but they would turn everything upside down, just like they did here at school. But then again he always liked to have young people around, and it wouldn't be boring for him and Minerva either after all.

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Please review. :-) 


	2. Chapter Two

**A Mother's Heart Chapter II**

_A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed. Hope you enjoy the second chapter. _

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The next morning Minerva woke up very early. It wasn't unusual for her but today she was even up before sunrise. When she left the bed Albus turned in his sleep, looking at her groggily.

"Min, come back to bed. We have another 5 hours before you have to go and pick up Harry." He extended his hand to her but she just tucked him in again, kissed him on the forehead and went to the bathroom.

She was way too excited. Truth be told she didn't really know why that was but she guessed because she had always dreamt of that day. Today she would pick up Harry from the Dursleys and he would spend the rest of the holidays with her and Albus.

Smiling happily she brushed her hair till it shone and decided to leave it down for once. At the moment she wasn't Harry's teacher after all. And she wanted him to feel welcome and loved. Minerva thought back of the day when Hagrid had brought the tiny baby Harry from the ruins of his parents' house and Albus had placed the infant in the care of his relatives. It was so long ago, and yet Minerva felt the agony of leaving the child with the Muggles as if it had been yesterday. She closed her eyes quickly, trying to fight back the tears. If she had only fought more for Harry, to keep him with her. But no, she had trusted Albus as usual. Certainly, the boy had been safe with the Dursleys but he had led a miserable life. His relatives despised him. Nobody deserved that, especially not a child.

Since Minerva hadn't been able to have children she had always considered the students as her children. But with Harry it had been different. She didn't exactly know why but in a way Minerva had always been afraid he would reject her if he knew about her true feelings for him. And of course she didn't want to favour him over his fellow students. It had been hard for her, especially when she had to punish him but she had always suffered with him.

So she had never let her feelings for Harry show. Of course Albus had always suspected that there was something but she had never talked about it. But after seeing him so miserable at the end of the last term she couldn't help but finally let him know.

And she was glad he hadn't rejected her or her feelings but turned to her. She had always known that the boy craved for love but … her own fears had kept her from letting him know that there was someone who cared for him very deeply.

Snapping back into reality Minerva quickly dressed herself and went to the kitchens to fetch some breakfast. It was only 6 in the morning but she needed a cup of tea now.

When she came back Albus was up too.

"Why didn't you go back to sleep, darling?" she asked after kissing him good morning. He pulled her closer, kissing her again.

"Because the bed seemed cold and empty without you, my dear," he told her, patting the small of her back before going to the bathroom to get dressed. She smiled after him… Even though they had been married for so long now they were so much in love, just like at the beginning of their relationship.

Two hours later Minerva was going over her belongings again. She didn't want to leave anything here she would need over the holidays, and even though she always had the possibility of getting it she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Harry. Of course Miss Granger and Mr Weasley would be there as well but Minerva hoped that she would get the opportunity to get to know Harry better. She wanted to know what he was thinking about, his feelings, his dreams, and his fears. The talk yesterday had been a good start; he hadn't pushed her away so perhaps there was a chance for them. Minerva dearly hoped that Harry would let her that close to him.

Albus sat in his favourite chair and watched her, slightly amused. It was very unusual for his wife to be that nervous about something but he understood. It was extremely important to her that Harry would feel comfortable around them… Plus she still had some of her work for school to do.

"Darling, why don't you just sit down and try to relax? I'll get you a nice cup of your favourite herbal tea." Albus took her hand and led her over to the sofa, pushing her down gently. She smiled at him gratefully. She knew it was silly to be that nervous but she just couldn't help it.

"Thank you, Albus." She took the cup from his hands carefully.

"I know you want everything to be perfect. But I'm sure Harry won't expect you to be perfect. I think he just wants you to be human…" Albus looked at her from his twinkling blue eyes. The boy didn't need perfection right now; he needed comfort and understanding, someone who cared for him.

Minerva nodded.

"Right."

A couple of minutes later Albus pulled out his watch and checked it.

"Well, I think we can leave now and pick him up. I don't want you to leave traces in our carpet," he said chuckling. Minerva had finished her tea and begun pacing again. She looked at him guiltily but not for long.

Harry had packed all of his belongings in his trunk. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go to Minerva's home but in the owl she had sent him earlier this morning she had stated that they would pick him up. 'They' probably meant that Dumbledore would be with her. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about the headmaster at the moment. He had always admired the old wizard for his wisdom and kindness but the last school year had shown him another picture of the man. Of course he understood his reasons but nonetheless he couldn't quite forget the feeling of loneliness he had always had during the last year.

"So how are you leaving? On your broomstick?" Vernon smirked when he took a look at Harry's large trunk. Harry just rolled his eyes. He didn't want to admit that he had no idea but luckily he was spared to come up with something. The doorbell rang.

Petunia opened the door and hopped backwards when she saw Albus and Minerva standing in front of her.

"Good morning. I hope we're not too early." Albus said merrily before stepping into the house. They wore both muggle clothes, not wanting to attract any attention.

"He's upstairs." Petunia retreated back further into her house, just pointing to the staircase. Albus took in her demeanour slightly amused.

"Thank you." Minerva nodded and together they ascended upstairs. It took them only seconds to locate Harry's bedroom. Vernon looked at them with a nasty smile on his face.

"Have a nice holiday with the boy. You can have him…" he said before going downstairs, without a word of goodbye to Harry.

Harry looked at Albus and Minerva with mixed feelings. Though he was glad he would leave Privet Drive in a couple of minutes he wasn't sure what to expect.

"Hello, Harry." Minerva said, taking him into her arms. He hesitated a moment before returning the embrace.

"Hello, professor." He smiled at her.

"Harry, what did I tell you yesterday?"

"Sorry… Minerva. I think it might take some time to get used to that." He stepped back from her and took Dumbledore's hand.

"Hello Harry. I'm glad you accepted our invitation." Albus held Harry's hand between both of his.

"Thank you, professor. It's very kind of you to take me in for the holidays," Harry said politely. Albus flinched a bit by his formal tone but he thought they might have to talk about the events of last year.

"Well, you can call me Albus whenever we're in private."

Harry gaped at him. That was certainly a new quality in his headmaster. All the time he had known Albus Dumbledore the old man had shown a certain care for him but kept him at arms length.

In the meantime Minerva had taken care of Harry's luggage. It had been shrunk and placed in the pockets of her jacket. She gave Albus a nod and he took out a phoenix feather whispered some well-chosen words, changing it into a port key.

"Do you want to say good bye to your aunt and uncle?" Albus asked. Harry shook his head. They would know that he was gone, and they would be happy about it.

"No… Albus." Harry gave him a small grin and looked around for his trunk.

"All taken care of, dear," said Minerva who had followed his gaze.

"Well, then I think it's time to leave. Touch the feather, please." Albus whispered the incantation that would activate the port key, and in an instant Harry felt the familiar tug behind the navel. Everything around him disappeared in a blur.

When the world came into focus again they were standing in front of a beautiful manor surrounded by vast grounds. In the distant Harry could see a forest.

"Wow. It's beautiful here." Harry looked at Minerva. She smiled at him and put an arm around his shoulder.

"I'm glad you like it. This is where I grew up. My family has lived here for over 200 years." She looked around the grounds proudly.

"Shall we go in then? I guess Harry would like to unpack and go off to explore the grounds before lunch." Albus chuckled, knowing the curiosity of his student. Harry grinned at him. The upcoming holidays didn't look so unhappy anymore, and with Ron and Hermione he would have fun here.

"Right." Minerva led the way up the front stairs and opened the door. The entrance hall was dominated by the family crest which was displayed on the wall opposite the door. To the left of the crest was a huge staircase leading to the upper floors.

Minerva let Harry have a look around the hall before ascending the stairs, showing him to his room.

"So this is your bedroom. It used to belong to my little brother." Minerva smiled fondly at the memory of her brother. Ulysses had died during the war with Grindelwald. He had fought bravely at her side but that one day… She hadn't been able to save him from a fatal curse.

"Thanks… Minerva," Harry said, hesitating a little. It was strange to call his professor by her first name… The usual so stern professor McGonagall. Some of the Slytherins called her 'ice queen' but Harry had always sensed that there was more to her; more than she showed to the outside.

Minerva smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"When you have unpacked I'll give you a tour through the house. Just come downstairs and turn left. The kitchen is at the end of the hallway..." She sniffed lightly. "Or just follow the scent of cocoa… I see that Albus was in need of something sweet." She grinned and went to the door, taking another look at the boy inside the room before she left.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the behaviour of his two professors. It seemed they were determined to give him the best holidays ever. But that wasn't all. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was but there seemed to be something different in their behaviour towards each other.

While he unpacked he pondered about this new development. The thought that Minerva McGonagall actually cared for him that deeply had scared him a bit at first but now that he was slowly getting used to the idea it seemed … well, great. He couldn't find another word for it. That was what he had always dreamt of. But still… There was some kind of … feminine side to her now that he didn't know. And the interactions with Dumbledore… Perhaps Hermione would be able to figure it out. She was usually very good at stuff like that. Well, she was actually good at everything but anyway…

It didn't take Harry long to unpack his trunk. When he was done he went downstairs looking for the kitchen. He grinned. Minerva had been right; there was a distinct smell of cocoa in the air. So he just followed the scent.

The kitchen door was slightly ajar. Harry could hear that both Albus and Minerva were inside though they were not talking. He pushed the door open and… stopped dead in his track, his jar dropping. Minerva McGonagall sat on Dumbledore's lap and they were … kissing.

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_Okay, that's it this time. Please don't forget to review. :-)_


	3. Chapter Three

Harry stood in the doorway, blushing furiously. He wanted to leave the kitchen as quickly and quietly as possible but hadn't counted on Minerva's excellent ears. She heard him move and broke the kiss with Albus, looking at Harry. She was clearly as embarrassed as he was and tried to jump off Albus lap but he held her tightly in place.

"Harry, come in." Albus said in a calm voice. Now was as good as any time for them to explain their relationship to Harry, though Albus had preferred to wait a little and give the boy time to settle down a bit.

Obediently Harry walked in and stood in front of the kitchen table. Minerva was still struggling to get to her feet but she couldn't free herself from Albus' grip.

"Dear, it's okay…"Albus told her and loosened his hold on her. "And Harry, have a seat. I guess there's something we need to explain."

Harry did as he was told and looked at Albus and Minerva curiously. Now he understood what was so different about their relationship now. At school they always made sure to act just as friends around each other. But here… even when they had come to pick him up he had sensed that they seemed to be more… intimate with each other than usual.

Minerva had calmed down a bit and looked at her husband. She had known that Harry would figure out sooner or later that they were more than just friends but though she loved Harry she would have preferred if it had bee later.

"Harry, dear… I'm sorry you had to see this." Minerva said. She looked at Harry, searching for signs of understanding and found it in his eyes.

"No, don't be. I should have knocked first." Harry blushed again a little, thinking back at the scene in front of him when he had entered the kitchen.

"Don't be silly. We should have been more careful. But I think there's something you need to know." Albus looked at Minerva lovingly and patted the small of her back.

"Albus and I have been married for 46 years now." Minerva stated.

Harry swallowed.

"I had no idea…" he managed to say. It was unbelievable that no one had ever found out about them.

Minerva smiled.

"Well, actually we've married secretly and kept it a secret. The Hogwarts staff knows and some close friends but no one else. And now you do…" Her voice trailed off while she thought about it. She was sure they could trust Harry.

"I won't tell anyone. Though I have to admit that Hermione suspects that there's more between the two of you than just friendship." He grinned at the thought of what Hermione would say when she found out. And she was bound to find out once she had arrived here. She was way too clever to be fooled for long.

Minerva seemed to have similar thoughts because she looked at Albus a bit uncomfortably. She hadn't thought about that before but if Miss Granger already suspected something than she would find out about their little secret.

"I see." Albus gently eased Minerva off his lap and went over to the stove to pour himself some more cocoa.

"What is it, dear?" Minerva asked, seeing that her husband was thinking about something.

"Well, I just thought that we should tell Miss Granger and Mr Weasley. That will spare Harry the problem of having to keep something from them… and they won't start speculating." He went back to the table and kissed his wife gently on the forehead before sitting down again.

Minerva blushed slightly but Harry smiled at her reassuringly. He was happy for them; they were really made for each other. When he said so both Albus and Minerva looked a bit embarrassed but happy that he felt that way.

"So… I think you said something about a tour through the house?" Harry asked Minerva. She nodded and rose from her chair.

"Yes, dear." She put her arm around his shoulder and led him through the large house. It hadn't changed much in the last years. She was rarely here, mostly during the holidays or whenever she needed some time to think. But usually Albus would prefer his summer home near the coast so they spent most of their time there.

Minerva showed Harry her old room. He saw immediately that it must have been hers, her style clearly noticeable in the room. Then there was the master bedroom as well as two smaller bedrooms and two bathrooms on the upper floor.

On the ground floor were a large dining room with a beautiful wooden table for about 12 people, then the living room, the kitchen, another bathroom and some storage rooms.

"It's a beautiful house," Harry said when they reached the kitchen again. Albus was still sitting there, reading a book and enjoying what looked like his third cup of cocoa.

"Yes, it is. I was very happy here when I was a child. And I hope you'll be happy here too." She said with a sincere smile on her face. She knew it wouldn't be easy for Harry to be in the constant company of his professors but she felt that he had already begun to relax. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley wouldn't arrive for another couple of days so he would have to content himself with Albus and Minerva in the meantime.

"Thank you," he murmured, not knowing what to say. Minerva behaved so differently towards him than at school. At school he was just one among the students, and usually she was … well, not cold but distant.

She hugged him and kissed him lightly on the temple. She knew he had never been hugged or kissed as a child and she would love to try to make it up to him if he let her.

Harry enjoyed the feeling of being hugged. But still… He just had to know why she had decided to tell him now how she felt about him.

"Minerva?" He pulled from her embrace and looked at her.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, dear."

"May I ask you something?" Suddenly he felt shy. What if it was all just a mistake? What if she felt just guilty for making him stay with the Dursleys for so long?

"Of course, Harry. Anything." Together they sat down on a bench that stood in front of the window of the hallway.

Harry swallowed hard, gathering his courage. He just had to know.

"Why have you told me that you love me? And why are you so… distant at school? You never seemed to care about me." He didn't dare to look at her, afraid of her reaction.

But instead of a reprimand he felt her arm coming around his shoulder and pulling him closer. She sighed.

"Well, Harry… I told you because it's true. Your parents were very close to me, and we stayed in touch after they had left school. When you were born they were so happy. So proud. And you were such a beautiful baby. I fell in love with you instantly. You know, Albus and I couldn't have any children; I've prayed for a child but the answer was no. So when you were born I was happy to take care of you whenever your parents needed a babysitter." Minerva shifted a little and then continued.

"That night when Voldemort killed your parents… Albus nearly broke my heart by leaving you with your relatives. But he told me about the magic that would keep you safe. So I agreed. But I assure you, it wasn't easy. And when you came to Hogwarts… I felt the old feelings coming back. But I couldn't show you, I just couldn't. I know you have already had a hard time with some of your school mates because they thought you were some kind of celebrity and enjoying that status. So I didn't want to give them another reason to bother you. That's why I've always kept a proper distance and pretended not to care." Minerva felt tears dwell up in her eyes when she finished her story.

Harry, who had looked at his hands the whole time, raised his head to meet Minerva's gaze. When he saw the tears in her eyes he pulled her in a comforting embrace. He had always guessed that there must be a softer side to her but it was a bit scaring to actually see it now. But he wanted her to know that it was okay now. He had just wanted to understand why she had behaved that way.

Minerva returned his embrace, happy that he didn't reject her now. It had been unbelievably hard for her not to be able to comfort Harry when he was sad or show him just how much she cared.

"Thank you for telling me." Harry said before kissing her gently on her cheek. It still felt strange to be so close to somebody. But he guessed he would get used to it.

Minerva wiped her cheeks and smiled at Harry.

"Well, I'm glad you know now. So… Would you like to explore the grounds before lunch?" She winked at him before getting up. Albus would be wondering what had happened to them, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. Anyway she could see how eager Harry was now to get outside.

"Of course." Harry grinned. "Anything I just observe?" He thought it better to ask. Even though he doubted there might be anything dangerous around here, he wanted to be on the safe side for once.

"Okay, then have fun. Lunch will be in two hours." Minerva patted his arm before entering the kitchen.

"What happened?" Albus asked, seeing the tear-stained face of his wife. He got up and pulled her into his arms.

"Harry and I had a little talk. He asked why I told him after so long how I really feel about him." Minerva hid her face in Albus' beard and inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of chocolate and lemon had always had a soothing effect on her. Just as it was now.

"Did you tell him?" Albus caressed her back lovingly, tracing patterns. He felt her nod against his chest and smiled, satisfied. He had known that this kind of talk had to come up some time, and he was glad Minerva and Harry seemed to have solved everything.

"When will he be back?" Albus asked, mischief glinting in his eyes, before he kissed Minerva's neck. She shivered at his touch and moaned lightly.

"In about two hours. Why?" Minerva pulled from his arms and looked at him innocently.

"Well, I thought we could continue what Harry interrupted earlier." With a swift movement he swept her up in his arms and carried her upstairs. Minerva's happy giggles were the last sounds to be heard for a while in the large house.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter Four

_A/N: So here we go with chapter four. Hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to review. ;-)_

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Nearly two hours later Minerva lay happily in her husband's arms who kissed her gently on the bare shoulder. It amazed her how, even after so many years of marriage, they felt attracted to each other. And he never ceased to surprise her with his gentleness and care for her needs which came always first for him. She snuggled closer to him, tenderly caressing his naked chest. She was happy that he would still look at her with his blue eyes darkened with desire, even at her age. She wasn't that young anymore but Albus gave her always a feeling of being special and desirable. 

Albus had watched her for a couple of minutes, admiring the dreamy look on her face. He knew it was because of him. Regretfully he took a look at his watch and noticed that it was about time to get down again. Harry would return from his stroll around the grounds soon, and he didn't want to shock the boy any further.

"My love, I'm afraid we'll have to stop here." He kissed her gently on the temple while caressing her stomach. She giggled a bit when he came across an especially sensitive spot.

"I know." She returned his caresses before scrambling up from bed. She dressed quickly while Albus enjoyed the view.

"Oh, honey, you should know by now how I look." She looked at him in mock annoyance, but still pleased with his attention.

"Indeed, my dear, I do. But nonetheless I shall never believe how I have been able to win such a beautiful woman for me." Albus crawled out of the bed and stepped in her embrace. She blushed a bit at his compliment. Of course Albus kept telling her that she was beautiful but she had never quite believed it.

When Albus had dressed they went downstairs, only to meet Harry in the entrance hall. He had a flushed face, and his hair was even more ruffled than usual. But he looked as if he had had a good time.

"Hungry, Harry?" Minerva smiled at him.

"Well… yes." He grinned. Since he had been quite nervous about today he hadn't had any breakfast at the Dursley's.

"Good. Then let's go to the dining room." Minerva put her arm around his shoulder and went ahead with him while Albus fell behind. He knew that Harry was still carefully treading around him, and he understood the boy quite well. The last school year hadn't gone well for both of them and their relationship but Albus hoped he would be able to mend things over the holidays. But for now he would let Minerva have her time.

The house elf had prepared some chicken breast with fresh vegetables for lunch. Minerva sat at the head of the table while Albus and Harry sat on either side of her. She looked at her two men.

"Well… Harry, what have you discovered on the grounds?" She asked while handing Albus a dish with potatoes.

"The grounds are vast. I don't think I have seen all of it yet. The forest is great. There grow even some of the herbs we've discussed in herbology." Harry was really hungry now, the smell of the food making his mouth water. But nonetheless he waited for Minerva to give him a sign that it was okay to start eating.

"Oh, Harry, I think Minerva hasn't told you yet that Miss Granger and Mr Weasley will arrive in 5 days. I'm afraid in the meantime you have to stay with us alone." Albus smiled. Harry stiffened a little when Albus addressed him but relaxed instantly when Minerva put her hand on his arm.

"What is it, Harry?" She sensed that he was slightly uncomfortable with Albus around, and that made her sad. But she felt it might be better when the two of them walked about it sooner rather then later.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. It's just… I can't forget at once what happened during the last school year. I felt so… lost." He looked at her apologetically.

"It's okay, Harry. I don't expect to be forgiven immediately. But please don't forget that I do care about you. I always have. I just didn't want to put you into more danger by staying so close to you. And I know that I've hurt you deeply." Albus didn't know what else to say.

Harry just nodded and turned slowly back to his food. He had already known that but still it felt good to hear it again. And he truly hoped that he would be able to regain is trust in Dumbledore completely.

"Thank you for inviting Hermione and Ron too. I know you wouldn't have to do this."

"Well, Harry, we didn't want you to have to spend the whole holidays just with us." Albus looked at him with his usual twinkle in the eyes. He knew the trio would bring life to the house, and it wouldn't be boring. Though Hermione was a most sensible girl, with the two boys she would just as energetic and exploring.

The rest of lunch passed in pleasurable talk, mostly over school stuff. Harry gave Albus and Minerva an update of the events of last year. Of course Minerva had already heard most of it but there were still some things even new to her. Albus had quite a lot of fun hearing about the pranks the Weasley twins had come up with to annoy Umbridge. Especially the fireworks seemed to amuse him.

"Really, Albus." Minerva scolded when Albus wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. But he could tell she wasn't really angry with him, the mischief was dancing in her green eyes. In fact she had enjoyed that specifical prank herself quite a lot. The wheels had looked truly beautiful, and the effects of different counter spells had been quite good. In secret Minerva was really proud of the boys and regretted it that they wouldn't come back to finish they N.E.W.T.'s.

After lunch Harry and Minerva settled down in the garden, enjoying the sunshine while Albus had to catch up with some work. Minerva had changed into some light summer robes and let her hair down for a change. With her eyes closed she lay in a sun chair and just relaxed. After some minutes she felt Harry's gaze on her and opened her eyes to look at him.

"Anything interesting in sight?" she teased gently. Harry blushed furiously. He hadn't expected her to catch him looking at her so intently. But it had never occurred to him that she was quite pretty. Sure, she wasn't a young woman anymore but with her hair down her features seemed softer and younger.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to stare at you." He blushed even further. "But you look so … different."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. Compliments from a student were something rather unusual, especially for her.

"Well, thank you… I think." She said with a grin.

"No, really. You look beautiful. You should were your hair down more often." Harry's face was bright red by now, and he didn't dare to look at Minerva. He didn't know what had gotten into him.

Now it was Minerva's turn to blush. She was touched that Harry would say such a thing.

"Thank you." She said softly, touching his arm lightly.

"But he's right, darling." Albus came from the house with a bright smile. Obviously he had overheard their conversation.

"And Harry, thank you for telling her. Perhaps she will believe you..." Albus chuckled when Minerva rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Oh stop that, you two. Albus you know, that I'm not beautiful. Especially after…" she stopped but Albus knew what she meant. Ever since the attack a few weeks ago she felt even less attractive than before. It was true she had some rather nasty scars from the stunners but Albus didn't mind.

"After what?" Harry asked. He had the feeling he already knew. The robes she wore showed more cleavage than usual, and he had caught a glimpse of a scar right over her left breast.

"After the attack." Minerva whispered. The memories came flooding up again. Albus knew that she still had nightmares from time to time. He wanted to sit down next to her but Harry was faster.

"You shouldn't feel that way. I know how scars can change your life but I think you shouldn't be ashamed of those scars. You got them when you stood up for a friend. And friendship is one of the most important things in life. You were brave and noble when you stood up against those fools. So don't think less of you." Harry raised his hand gently to her cheek and stroked it hesitantly. When he saw that Minerva had tears in her eyes he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Albus felt tears trickle down his face. Rarely had he heard someone speak to Minerva so lovingly. And he loved Harry even more for that. He sat down in Minerva's other side and hugged them both.

They sat like that for a while before Minerva pulled from their arms.

"Thank you, Harry." She kissed him on the cheek before turning to Albus. She squeezed her husband's hand gently.

"And thank you, Albus."

"No, thank you Minerva. For being the person you are. You've taught me so much, and I'm glad you allowed me to get to know you better." Harry looked at her sincerely. He knew he was lucky that Minerva allowed him so close. And he was happy that she had told him about her feelings for him.

Before Minerva could start crying again Albus had pulled her up and into his embrace.

"What do you think about a little swim before dinner?" He looked at his wife and at Harry. The boy didn't seem yet comfortable with them showing their love for each other but he tried not to show it.

"That sounds good. What about you, Harry? Have you already found the lake?" Minerva pointed in the general direction of the forest where Harry had been earlier today. But he hadn't come across a lake.

Since the day was rather warm he decided it might be a good idea. So he nodded eagerly and followed Albus and Minerva inside to gather his swimming clothes.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter Five

_So here we go again, chapter 5 finally up. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. :-)_

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While Harry was in his room changing into his swimming trunks he thought about what he had learnt about Albus and Minerva so far.

In a way it was strange to think of them as a married couple but then again there had always been rumours that there was more to their relationship than just friendship. And if Harry was honest they were just cute together. It was obvious that they were very much in love, even after so many years of marriage. And Albus practically worshipped the ground Minerva walked. Harry grinned.

Thinking about it he realized that his two professors had given up the precious time when they could just act as an ordinary couple, their summer holidays, about the only time of year when they were alone. And they had taken him in nonetheless. A wave of gratitude flowed through Harry. He thought about a way to make it up to them but decided it would be better to wait until Hermione and Ron had arrived. Hermione would know what to do; she was usually very good at stuff like that.

Grabbing his towel Harry went back downstairs where Albus and Minerva seemed to have a discussion about Minerva's swimming outfit. She had slipped into a bathing suit that hid everything. But revealed a very nice pair of legs. Albus seemed to disagree with her choice and pointed out that he'd given her a very nice bikini for Christmas.

"Albus, I can hardly wear that piece of nothing with Harry around." Minerva blushed at the sheer thought of it.

"Don't worry about me, I won't look. I promise." Harry said when he stepped next to Albus. His headmaster grinned at him. Harry grinned back and gave Minerva an apologetic look. She rolled her eyes at the two men. It was always the same.

"Please, darling." Albus tried the puppy dog eyes which caused Minerva to giggle like a school girl.

"If you feel better I'll retreat to another part of the lake. Or I won't come along at all." Harry felt he should at least try to give them some of their well deserved privacy.

"Harry, don't be ridiculous. Of course you'll come along. But I swear you, if anyone at school finds out about that particular piece of swim wear I'll personally make sure you'll have too much to do to even think of quidditch." Minerva gave him her best glare but Harry could see that she didn't mean it. And that she trusted him enough not to reveal anything about this at school.

"Okay, I promise." Harry grinned at her.

So Minerva went back upstairs to change again while Albus and Harry waited for her in the entrance hall. Harry hadn't noticed Albus' outfit before but now he took a closer look. And as always Albus had chosen something quite unique. His swimming trunks were a violent shade of pink with little ducks flying around. Harry couldn't stifle a grin but Albus merely raised an eyebrow as he followed Harry's gaze.

"I can see you like my choice of swim wear," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Absolutely." Harry grinned at him.

When they heard footsteps on the staircase both turned to look up. Minerva came back down but she had put a bathrobe over her bikini. Blushing at the attention she mumbled something that neither man could understand but they didn't dare to ask her what it was. It seemed that Minerva wasn't too happy that she had been convinced to wear that bikini.

It was only a short walk to the lake but you had to know the right way to get there. Harry hadn't found it earlier because it was very well secluded; you had to stroke a particular rock so that the path to the lake was revealed.

The lake was situated within a large clearing, high trees around it. There was a small beach. The water seemed very clear, and when Harry dipped his toe into it he found that it was rather warm. He looked at Minerva questioningly.

"It's charmed to have an agreeable temperature. I wouldn't want to freeze to death while swimming." She winked at him.

"Oh, right. Well, I think I really like it here." Harry put down his towel and ran in the water, not waiting for Albus and Minerva.

Minerva seemed at bit hesitant to put of the bathrobe. Suddenly she felt a little shy, not knowing how Harry would react though he had promised her he wouldn't say a thing. But she wasn't exactly 20 anymore, and she wasn't sure how many women her age Harry had seen so far in a bikini.

Albus stepped behind her and circled her waist with his arms. While he planted feather light kisses on her cheek and neck he opened the belt of the robe and carefully slid it down her shoulders.

"You look beautiful," he murmured in her ear as the robe landed on the ground. Minerva shivered lightly. She didn't feel beautiful at all at the moment, just very exposed. None of her students had ever seen her in less than a bathrobe with her nightgown underneath. Though she used the pond in the teachers' garden at Hogwarts for an occasional swim she had always made sure to be properly dressed before her students.

Albus didn't give her much time to ponder about her clothing or lack of it at the moment but scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the water. He looked at her, mischief clearly in his eyes.

"Oh no, Albus. You wouldn't dare…" Minerva looked at him threateningly.

"Are you sure?" he grinned.

But before Minerva could answer he had already dropped her unceremoniously into the water, leaving her splashing and coughing.

Harry stood a little away from them and had a hard time trying not to swallow too much water while laughing. When Minerva had regained her foothold she turned around to Harry.

"Now, that's so nice of you. You should help me instead of laughing." She tried to glare at him but couldn't suppress a smile.

"Oh, right." Harry came towards her, and together they launched the revenge on Albus. The older man didn't stand a chance against his two attackers and soon he was begging for mercy.

"Please, I surrender!" Albus was gasping for air while Minerva held his beard in her hand, ready to pull him under water.

"Do we accept, Harry?" Minerva looked at the boy. He nodded, and Minerva released Albus' beard.

"Thank you." Albus retreated from the water and let himself drop on his towel. Minerva and Harry followed him.

Over the last minutes Minerva hadn't given her outfit another thought but now that she was out of the water she remembered. Hurriedly she wanted to cover herself with her bathrobe but Harry snatched it from her hands.

"Now who is being ridiculous?" he teased gently. Minerva raised an eyebrow in return.

"Sorry but you didn't seem to care while we were in the water. And as I have already said, you're beautiful. So no need to hide. You look really great in that one. The colour suits you." Harry smiled at her. It was true. The Gryffindor red of her bikini was a nice contrast to her green eyes and black hair.

Minerva looked at Albus for help but he merely mouthed 'told you' in return.

"Thanks, Harry." Minerva smiled at Harry warmly, still a bit unsure of whether or not to believe him.

"Anyway, I think I'll leave you two alone. I need to write a letter to Hermione." Harry got back to his feet and handed Minerva her robe back. Winking at Albus he left before Minerva could say another word.

She turned to face her husband.

"Now what was that all about?" she asked.

"Well, my dear, I think that was about Harry growing up and developing a great taste." Albus said, chuckling when Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Albus, sometimes I wonder how I ended up with you." She leaned over to kiss him. As much as she enjoyed his compliments it was a little irritating sometimes.

"Because you couldn't resist my charm." Albus pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, savouring the touch and the closeness of her body.

In the meantime Harry had returned to his room, searching for a piece of parchment. Hedwig was still out hunting but since Harry would need some time to write the letter he didn't need her immediately. He planned on telling Hermione about Albus and Minerva so that she could already think about what to do. He hoped she would come up with one of her brilliant ideas.

_Dear Mione,_

_I know you'll be here in 5 days anyway but there's something you should know. You've always suspected that Minerva and Albus are more than just friends. Though I've never believed you I have to admit you were right. They told me that they've been married for more than 40 years. Just imagine… and we never found out! _

_Well, the thing is that I feel guilty. They've sacrificed their only time of year where they can be together without having to hide their feelings for each other because they wanted me to enjoy my summer holidays. And I would really try to make it up to them… Do you have any ideas?_

_I'm so excited that we'll spend the summer holidays here together. The house is great and the grounds really vast. Absolutely fantastic. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time here._

_Looking forward to seeing you._

_Hugs, Harry_

Harry re-read his letter. Satisfied he turned around only to find Hedwig sitting on her perch, looking at him intently.

"Hedwig, I need you to bring this to Hermione." He fixed the letter to her leg and stroked her gently before the bird took off again.

He would see what Hermione could come up with. Right now he heard that Albus and Minerva had returned from the lake as well, as there was laughter echoing from the entrance hall.

"Hello Harry. Finished your letter?" Minerva asked when he came downstairs. Harry nodded.

"Good. Pinky, the house elf, has just informed that dinner will be ready in about half an hour." Minerva said, ascending the stairs. She stopped when she realized that Albus was falling behind.

"Go ahead, darling; I'll be with you in a minute." He smiled at her.

Minerva just nodded and disappeared into their bedroom.

"Thanks for giving us some privacy earlier." Albus turned to Harry.

The boy merely shrugged.

"That's the least I can do."

Albus nodded and sent Harry another intense look.

"But you know that we'll always be there whenever you need us."

"I know." Harry said simply.

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_Don't forget to review. ;-)_


	6. Chapter Six

Hi everyone, I'm sorry this took me so long to update. I hope the next chapter will be up soon. So stay tuned. -)

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Five days later Hermione and Ron arrived with Mr and Mrs Weasley. Both Arthur and Molly looked very excitedly at Albus and Minerva; it was obvious that Hermione had told Ron about the letter and he had told his parents.

When Minerva came to say hello to the visitors Molly pulled her into a tight hug.

"Why haven't you told anyone? I'm so happy for you." She beamed all over her face. Well, Molly wasn't stupid, and somehow she had always suspected that the headmaster and his deputy were more than just friends.

Minerva shot a glare at Harry who shrugged apologetically.

"Professor, I'm afraid this is my fault. Harry told me about you and Professor Dumbledore in a letter, and I just had to tell Ron." Hermione looked clearly embarrassed. Minerva's gaze softened. After all, they had planned on telling the children anyway so no harm was done. And she was sure they could trust Arthur and Molly with their little secret.

"We won't tell anyone, Minerva, don't worry." Arthur squeezed her arm lightly to reassure her.

In the meantime Ron had examined their surroundings carefully. He had never been as comfortable around a teacher as Harry or Hermione. And now he was to spend his summer holidays with his headmaster and his head of house. AND they were married. This could be quite interesting.

"Harry, could you show Miss Granger and Mr Weasley to their rooms?" Minerva motioned for Harry to go upstairs with his friends. Harry nodded and grabbed some of the luggage.

When the three of them arrived in Ron's room Hermione and Ron started bombarding Harry with questions about his life with Albus and Minerva so far.

"So, when did they tell you that they're married?" Ron asked, sitting down on the bed and looking around the room.

"Well, actually right away. I kind of noticed that they behaved differently but then, when we had just arrived here, I came down from my room. And when I entered the kitchen I caught them snogging." He grinned all over his face.

"They did what? That just …" Ron blurted out.

"Sooo sweet." Hermione finished with a sigh. Ron gave her a slightly disgusted look, making it quite clear that this wasn't his intended ending of the sentence.

"So, have you thought about my question?" Harry sat down next to Ron and looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Well, yes, I have. My mum made some suggestions, and I think a romantic dinner would be great. We could cook and serve the food."

Harry and Ron looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Harry had had to cook with the Dursleys but only simple stuff like fried eggs, never anything complicated which would surely be required for a romantic dinner.

"You don't have to cook. Just help me, okay?" Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. Those two were just too … well; they were boys, which said everything.

"Do you know how to cook?" Ron seemed to see Hermione in a different light now. It was one thing to be a clever witch but to be good at household stuff too… Very impressive.

"A bit. But mum told be how to do it. In fact she has worked out a complete menu for us. We'll just have to sneak off to a shop and buy everything but that shouldn't be a problem." Hermione looked very satisfied with herself.

"Uhm… yeah, well, I guess we could go to the nearby village to get everything." Harry suggested.

Soon the three of them went over the plan what they would need for a romantic dinner for Albus and Minerva. It should take place the next day. The weather forecast had said it would be a wonderful warm summer night with shooting stars which seemed just perfect for their plan.

In the meantime Albus and Minerva had invited Arthur and Molly for tea but the two of them had declined. They had to get back to The Burrow where Ginny and the twins were alone. And ever since their famous departure from Hogwarts Molly had an extra eye on her sons. Though she didn't approve of their plan to leave school and start a joke shop she was kind of proud that their business had already taken off so successfully.

Soon it was lunch time, and Minerva came upstairs to get the trio.

"I hope you're hungry," she smiled at them. She didn't dare to touch Harry in front of his friends though she longed to put her arm around his shoulder. But somehow Harry seemed to have sensed this, as he pulled her into a quick hug and offered her his arm.

Ron gave Hermione a shocked glance but she only shrugged. Surely Harry would explain all of this later on.

During lunch Ron had even more reason to wonder about his friend. The casual way Harry treated Albus and Minerva and even called them by their first names was a bit … disturbing for him.

"Professor McGonagall, I know you're probably not allowed to tell me but do you already have the results of our O.W.L.'s?" Hermione asked. She was just too curious.

"First of all, call me Minerva while we're in private. You too, Ron. And secondly, no, I haven't got the results yet." Minerva smiled when she saw Ron's jaw drop. Hermione just blushed.

"Thanks, pro… Minerva," she smiled.

"And of course, you'll call me Albus." Albus chuckled when Ron's head turned a furious red. It was obviously a bit too much for the boy.

"Come on, it's not that difficult." Harry grinned at his friends. It was now rather easy for him to call his professors by their given names.

After lunch Minerva took Harry aside.

"I take it you want to show Hermione and Ron the grounds?" She looked at him, smiling. He nodded. Of course he wanted to show them everything around here. Plus they had to find a secluded place where they could go over the list of ingredients they would need for the dinner they planned. And they still had to do their shopping.

"Yes. So I guess we'll be away all afternoon." Harry winked at her, knowing that this was what she had wanted to know. Minerva looked at him in mock annoyance but broke into a smile.

"Okay. But be back at 8 for dinner, okay?" She hugged him loosely and turned to go looking for Albus. It seemed they had the whole afternoon to themselves which was quite a surprise. She hadn't expected that the children would stick around them the whole time but surely not to leave for a couple of hours at a time. But then again they weren't really children anymore. Sighing Minerva went to the library where she found Albus, his nose buried in one of the large books about the McGonagall family history, a topic which never seemed to tire her husband.

"Albus, my darling?" she asked with a slight purr in her voice.

Albus looked up with his eyebrows raised, but a distinct twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, my dear."

"The trio will be away all afternoon. What do you think about that?" She sat down on his lap and began stroking his hair.

"Well, I'd say we should take advantage of the situation," he said with a wicked grin before kissing her soundly. She moaned against his mouth while his hands started roaming her body.

"I totally agree with you," were the last words Minerva was able to speak before passion took over.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter Seven

_So, here we go again. I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter. And don't forget the review. ;-)_

_Dedicated to Lies and Claudia - thanks for being friends._

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Harry, Ron and Hermione sat under a large tree by the shore of the hidden lake, hunched over a piece of parchment. At the moment they were pondering over the finer details of their plan for a romantic dinner for Albus and Minerva.

"So it seems the question is where to get all the stuff and, even more importantly, where to get the money for everything?" Ron looked expectantly at his two friends. Though he found the thought of Dumbledore and McGonagall being married and, subsequently, having a more intimate relationship a bit unsettling, he fully agreed with Harry and Hermione that they should do something for them.

Harry shrugged. He had already thought about the money problem.

"Well, we could either try to get some muggle money and do all the shopping here in the village or go to Diagon Alley and buy everything there."

"I do have some muggle money left." Hermione sat back and looked at the boys. "I just think it might look a bit suspicious when we ask to go to Diagon Alley even before we get our book lists. Anyway then Albus and Minerva would probably go with us, so we wouldn't have a chance to get everything without them noticing something. So I asked Mum for some money."

Harry grinned at her. Hermione was always reliable, and once again she had proven that she usually thought of everything.

"Okay, so we'll give you our share in wizard money." Harry looked relieved.

"Then let's get back to the menu. According to Mum we'll need quite some stuff for the salad and the soup. For the main course we'll have to choose between fresh vegetables and this stuff in tin cans but I'd tend to the fresh ones. The only thing, Mum hasn't thought about, is the dessert. Any suggestions?" Hermione looked from Harry to Ron who seemed puzzled. He'd never thought much about food; it was enough that it was there when he was hungry.

But then Ron seemed to remember something.

"I think Dumbledore was quite fond of Mum's chocolate cake. I could ask her for the recipe."

"Excellent idea," Harry nodded.

So after checking a few more details the trio headed for the nearby village. Hermione had already had the money with her so they just had to worry about not being able to get everything they needed or being caught by Albus and Minerva when they got back to the house.

The village was easily found, and though the McGonagall manor was situated in a rather secluded spot, Minerva's family had always had a good relationship with the Muggles living in the area.

Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled through the village which wasn't as big as they had thought. But in the end they found a well-equipped supermarket where they bought everything they would need the other day. Hermione thought about buying some flowers for the table but Ron and Harry convinced her that a self collected bunch of flowers would suit their cause better.

So they carried everything back to the McGonagall manor. While Harry checked out if the coast was clear Ron and Hermione hid with their purchase behind a large oak tree.

When they heard Harry whistle they hurried over to the door and rushed to the kitchen in order to store everything. Anyway they had to tell the house-elf about their plan for the other evening. The little guy wasn't too pleased with his mistress' guests working in his kitchen but he didn't object.

It was about half past seven now, and Harry thought it couldn't hurt to go looking for Albus and Minerva and let them know they were back.

"Hello? Albus? Minerva?" Harry shouted in the empty entrance hall. Then he heard giggles coming from upstairs, followed by Albus' voice telling him they would be with them in a minute.

So Harry went back to the kitchen and sat down at the table, helping himself to a glass of pumpkin juice. Ron had just finished scribbling a note to his mother asking for the recipe for the chocolate cake and was off now in search of Hedwig.

"Hello there." Smiling Minerva entered the kitchen, followed by Albus whose beard seemed a bit ruffled.

"I hope you've had a nice afternoon." Albus had spotted the jug with the pumpkin juice and poured himself some.

"Yes, we did. It's really beautiful here… Albus," Hermione said.

"I'm glad you like it. Anyway, where is Ron?" Minerva asked. "Dinner is ready."

"I'm right here, professor." Ron burst through the door, panting lightly.

Minerva raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry… Minerva." Ron blushed furiously. Though he actually liked both Dumbledore and McGonagall it seemed so strange to call them something other than professor.

Minerva smiled and put her arm around Ron's shoulder which made him blush even more. Albus chuckled and linked his wife's arm with his.

"My dear, I think you should give Ron more time with this." Gently he led her over to the table, where the house-elf had already served the food, and pulled out her chair for her.

During dinner the three friends tried to find out about Albus and Minerva's plans for the following day.

When Minerva talked about going to Diagon Alley in order to buy new dress robes the trio urged her to go and take Albus with her as much as possible without raising suspicions. That way they would have enough time to prepare everything for the evening; and though they would probably get some help from the house-elf, they wanted to do as much as possible on their own.

"So you don't want to come with us? Are you sure?" Albus looked at his students, astonished. Usually he would have guessed they would love a trip to Diagon Alley.

"No, you just go. You know you don't have to keep an eye on us all the time." Harry winked. "Besides, we would like to spend the day at the lake." He assured him, keeping his fingers crossed under the table that this would work.

"Very well then." Albus nodded.

The other day Albus and Minerva left for London, but not after promising the trio to be back at 8pm for dinner. Minerva shot Albus a quizzical look but he just raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Though he did seem to sense that the kids were up to something he didn't know what it was. But he had enough trust in Harry and his friends to let them go on with it. Anyway, he had a suspicion that he and Minerva would find out in the evening when they returned from London.

"Then have a nice day." Hermione waved at Minerva before she disapparated with a light plop, following Albus.

Harry led out his breath he had held unconsciously.

"Okay, so I guess we should get straight to work. I saw Hedwig return earlier this morning, so I guess she brought the recipe from your mum." He looked at Ron who nodded.

"So you go and have a look at it. Check out if we need anything else which we'll have to buy in the village. Harry, you're with me." Hermione took over. But since she was the only one who had the slightest idea what would have to be done in the kitchen the boys followed her lead willingly.

Ten minutes later, the three friends stood in the kitchen, each of them hunched over a recipe, trying to get everything right.

To be continued…


	8. Chapter Eight

_Sorry for the delay folks, there were just some personal problems I had to deal with and which took quite a toll on me. But now it's over, and I guess there are just some things that end horribly. Thanks to Lies for bearing with me. And as always, I don't own any of the characters, I just play with them._

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"They are coming! " Hermione had looked through the kitchen door and just spotted Albus and Minerva who returned from their day in London. They looked very happy, it seemed, for they were quite oblivious to their surroundings.

"Hurry up, you two. You still have to change." Hermione rolled her eyes at the two boys who were just vanishing the remainders of their cooking. The food was all set and ready to be served.

While the boys had prepared the last things for dinner, Hermione had set the table in the living room. There were hundreds of small candles floating everywhere, rose petals on the white table cloth and soft music filled the air. Hermione had chosen the best china for this evening, along with Minerva's silver cutlery. She took one last look around the room before exiting in search of Albus and Minerva.

"Hello Hermione," Minerva smiled at her. It was obvious she had enjoyed herself today immensely. Raising an eyebrow she looked at her student curiously.

"What are you wearing, dear?" she asked.

Hermione smiled at her.

"Well, since you two have been so kind to take us all in, we wanted to thank you. That's why we have prepared a very special dinner for you." Hermione opened the door to the living room and motioned for the two professors to enter.

Albus led his wife over to the table and pulled back her chair for her.

"That's really impressive," he said while he walked over to his side of the table and sat down. "But you know that you don't have to do this." He looked at the girl for a moment that just nodded and then disappeared into the kitchen.

Minerva looked around in the room. It was all so beautiful. The trio had clearly worked the whole day to create this wonderful atmosphere for them.

"I'm curious what else they will have for us." Minerva grinned at her husband.

"Well, as far as I can see they've cooked. My little friend there looks as if he would rather be somewhere else." Albus chuckled. Indeed Wolky, the house elf, tried to offer his help to the trio but was reclined every time.

Seconds later, Ron and Harry emerged from the kitchen, each of them carrying a plate while Hermione brought a bottle of wine.

The food proved just delicious, and Albus and Minerva just enjoyed themselves. The candles and the soft music in the background created a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. The trio kept themselves in the kitchen.

When Albus and Minerva had finished their dinner – Albus had just loved the chocolate cake – Hermione removed the plates from the table while Harry chose another selection of music.

"Thank you. It's been a wonderful evening." Minerva smiled at them.

"And it's not over yet." Ron grinned at her. In fact the three of them had thought that the evening would end nicely with dancing. So they had searched for a collection of songs for slow dances.

When the first soft music Albus raised his eyebrows questioningly but Harry just motioned him to dance with his wife. So the headmaster took Minerva's hand and led her away from the table.

As Albus put his arms around her and pulled her closer, Minerva closed her eyes and inhaled deeply the scent of the man she had loved for so long. And she still loved him, loved him even more than at the day they had married. Their love had deepened steadily since then, and though there had been troubles along the road, that had only helped them and made their feelings for each other stronger.

With her eyes still closed Minerva listened to the lyrics of the current song. Somehow they fitted her relationship with Albus perfectly. He was and would always be the most important person in her life.

Albus sighed, his hands drawing slow circles on Minerva's back. Though they had been married for so long, he couldn't imagine a life without her. She meant everything to him, and his feelings hadn't changed a bit over the years.

Harry, Ron and Hermione peered through the kitchen door at the loving couple, grinning. Their plan had just worked beautifully, and the evening was a complete success.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Well, it wasn't exactly knocking, it was banging. Someone seemed rather desperate to get in.

Harry rushed to the door but Wolky was faster. The little house elf had already opened the door.

"Potter. What on earth are you doing here?" Severus Snape rushed past the house elf and looked at Harry.

"I'm staying here for the holidays. And what are you doing here?" Harry demanded to know. He didn't want Albus and Minerva to be disturbed now but he knew he couldn't keep Snape from entering the house.

"That, Potter, is none of your business. Now where's the headmaster?" The professor turned towards the house elf who pointed in the direction of the living room. Snape just nodded curtly and left Harry standing in the hall.

Then Harry came to his senses and bolted after his professor, keen to know why he was here. Something had to have happened; otherwise the former Death Eater wouldn't be here. Harry knew that he still worked for Voldemort, though as a spy for Dumbledore this time. But though Harry knew that Dumbledore trusted Snape completely, he couldn't bring himself to overcome his feelings.

"Headmaster!" Severus had just entered the living room where Albus and Minerva jumped apart. As soon as Albus realized that it was his potions master he relaxed visibly.

"Hello, Severus." Albus smiled at him and offered his hand to the younger man. Snape shook it before he turned to Minerva and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Ron and Hermione, who had just returned from the kitchen, looked quite taken aback at the sight before them.

Minerva laughed.

"Well, just because of our bickering concerning the House Cup we don't hate each other." She grinned at the children and patted Snape's arm.

Snape just rolled his eyes at seeing Harry's two sidekicks.

"Are you punishing yourselves or why are they here?" he looked at Albus for an explanation.

"I didn't want Harry to spend another summer with his relatives, so we offered him to stay with us. And since he shouldn't be all alone just with two old people, we asked Ron and Hermione to come too." Minerva explained. She couldn't quite keep the grin off her face at the disgusted look on Snape's face. To him, it must seem like pure torture to have Harry and his friends stay over summer.

"Well, you're not old. But you're definitely too kind." He said, but he smiled. He had always known that Minerva had motherly feelings to those who were alone in this world. It had been quite the same with him, though he was in a different situation than Potter.

Minerva slapped his arm playfully before Albus draw her attention back to some more urgent matters.

"So, what brought you here, Severus?" he asked, offering Snape a seat.

"Voldemort." The young man simply said.


	9. Chapter Nine

_I know, it took me ages to update but here it finally is: Chapter IX. Enjoy and don't forget to review. :-)_

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Severus had just said one word, yet managed to make everyone in the room tense. The trio looked at each other and then to Albus and Minerva. All of a sudden, everything sprang into motion. Minerva tried to hurry Harry and his friends out of the room but Albus stopped her.

"No, let them stay. After all that happened last term, I think they should hear what Severus has to say. And they surely know what to expect when Voldemort is involved." Albus sat down and so did the others. The table had been cleaned completely and the house-elf had brought some tea and coffee for the group.

"Now, Severus. What happened?" Albus looked at his potions master enquiringly.

"Voldemort started his visits again. There were two murders last night. And he summoned his death eaters to a meeting." Snape took a cup of tea and drank quickly. Obviously he was more exhausted than he dared to admit.

"So, what did he want?" Minerva asked. She looked distinctly worried, and it was obvious to the kids that she cared for Snape deeply. Though they couldn't quite get that. Ever since their first days in Hogwarts they had detested the potions master who was always either rude or even cruel towards every other house, except his Slytherins, of course, and especially to Harry.

"Basically, it was just a meeting to get our focus back on the main task. Which would be getting hold of Hogwarts and … getting you out of the way." The last part was added quietly. Snape didn't like to voice it.

"But it's not new that Voldemort is after me." Albus said with a chuckle. He sensed that Snape was very tense about this, as was Minerva.

"It's not only you. It's also Minerva." Severus looked at them in turn. Minerva paled a little but regained her composure quickly. After all, it wasn't that surprising. Though nobody knew of their marriage it was common knowledge that she was the closest person to Albus and the one who would follow his lead should he not be able to complete the mission of getting rid of Voldemort.

"What can we do about it?" Harry chimed it, eager to do something. In these last weeks he had learned to care for either Minerva and Albus, and after Albus had told him about the prophecy he knew that his fate was to face Voldemort in battle. And at the moment he felt, the sooner he got over with it, the better.

"You? You can't do anything, Potter." Snape sneered at him, annoyed that the kids were present.

"Severus, please. They just want to help." Albus said. "But I have to agree, Harry. You aren't trained enough yet to go into battle."

Harry looked angry. When Minerva tried to take his hand to calm him he pulled away from her and rose from his chair quickly.

"So we're back to that again, aren't we? We're just stupid kids, not good enough to do anything. But don't forget that I've faced Voldemort. And I survived. Why don't you just train me?" Furiously Harry stormed out of the room and left his friends quite taken aback. They had thought that, after these last weeks with Albus and Minerva, they had come to a better understanding for each others' motives.

"Oh dear." Minerva sighed.

"Well, what did you expect, Min?" Snape rolled his eyes. Though he really loved Minerva like a mother, he couldn't quite get her attachment to the Potter boy. He was nothing more than a brat who had to get things his way.

"Perhaps you should go after him, darling." Albus nodded towards the door. Minerva rose and left the room. She went upstairs and knocked softly on Harry's door.

"What is it?" came the grumpy reply which made Minerva smile. She could practically sense Harry's anger through the door but she could also feel that he was hurt.

Slowly, she opened the door and entered. Harry lay flat on his stomach on his bed.

"Harry? Could I talk to you for a minute?" Minerva took a chair and put it down next to Harry's bed.

Harry didn't answer but turned around to look at Minerva. She took that as a yes.

"Harry, honey. Albus doesn't want to shut you out. But you have to admit that he does have a point. At the moment you don't know enough to face Voldemort in battle. And if you're honest, you'll have to see that until now it was more luck than anything else that you escaped him. But of course we will train you." Carefully she stroked Harry's hair.

"We care about you, and we don't want to see you hurt. That's why Albus doesn't want to put you in danger."

"But when Voldemort is after you, I want to be able to do something. I'm sorry for my outburst, but you're the closest thing to parents I've ever had. I mean, these past few weeks were probably the happiest in my life. And I don't want to lose you too." Harry's voice was rich with emotion and his eyes shone with unshed tears.

Minerva closed her eyes, feeling tears well up. Quickly she pulled Harry in a tight embrace.

"You won't, Harry."

In the meantime Albus and Severus discussed the measures the Order would take to protect as many people as possible. Severus had been able to provide a list of people who were more in danger than others.

Hermione and Ron had listened silently to them, watching the potions master closely.

"Isn't there really anything we can do, Albus?" Hermione asked. Severus regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

"No, not at the moment, Hermione. But we'll let you know." Albus smiled at the young girl. He knew that, sooner or later, their time would come, and then he wanted them to be as well prepared as possible.

Nodding, Hermione rose and left to find Harry. Ron followed her out of the room.

"So it's Albus now, is it?" Severus asked. He still couldn't believe that Albus and Minerva had invited the trio to stay.

"Well, it seemed only right. They are not as bad as you think. Give them a chance. And somehow, Harry reminds me of a certain young man who was just as keen to prove himself." Albus chuckled softly. The young Severus had been just as Harry, eager to get out in the world and become a hero. But life had held something different for him.

"Oh please, you can't compare him to me. We're as different as could be." Severus looked at Albus grumpily.

"Come, Severus, you must be hungry. The children have prepared a wonderful meal, and I think there should be some left-overs." Albus rose and went into the kitchen. Severus sighed and followed the older man. His parents had died when he was still a student in Hogwarts, and ever since Albus and Minerva had practically taken him on as a surrogate son.

Albus prepared the food for Severus who sat at the kitchen table and told him about the potion he had been working on lately.

When Albus put the plate in front of him, Severus suddenly felt how hungry he was. So he dug in, grateful for Albus' care once more.

Hermione and Ron had found Harry with Minerva, still talking. But he seemed calmer now, and obviously he had come to an agreement with Minerva. She would train them in the afternoons for battle. And Severus would teach them potions. This was part Harry didn't like but Minerva had convinced him that a wide knowledge of potions was necessary.

"Oh dear…" Ron sighed.


	10. Chapter Ten

Okay, here's another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all who read and reviewed.

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The other day the additional training for the trio began. In the morning Minerva and Albus would take changes to teach them different spells for duelling or practice advanced transfigurations with them. Then there would be a lunch break of two hours which was followed by another 4 hours of potions.

Just like the trio, Severus was less than pleased with the idea of seeing them each day of the summer holidays. But he also knew that it was necessary, and he had promised Albus to give Potter another chance and to try to get rid of that grudge against the boy just because he was his father's son.

It had now been three days since the lessons started, and though Harry was quite restless during the lessons he paid close attention to what was said.

"No, Ron, that's not quite right. You have to move your wand in a circle. Not just a line." Minerva repressed the urge to roll her eyes. This was about the twentieth time she corrected Ron's wand movement, and he still didn't get it. Hermione, who was practicing with Harry, looked over to her and gave her a sympathetic grin.

Ron looked quite desperate by now but he tried again, and this time the movement was correct. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Boy, that's definitely way more difficult than anything we've learnt at DADA so far." He looked at Hermione and Harry and then to Minerva.

"Well, that may be because that's way beyond N.E.W.T.'s level. Voldemort isn't going to use easy spells on you, and you know that." Minerva patted Ron's shoulder and then motioned for the other to join them. They were in one of the spare bedrooms which had been redecorated to fit their needs.

"Now that you've mastered the movement, we'll first practice the words and then everything together, okay?" Minerva told them. "So, the spell is patrocinor tecto."

Obediently the three kids said the spell until Minerva was satisfied with their efforts. For their practice Hagrid had built some dummies to try the spells on. Most of the spells were too dangerous to be tested on living being. But this one was just for defence so they could actually duel each other a bit.

"Right, Hermione, you go with Ron for now. I'll practice with Harry first." Minerva got into position and raised her wand to throw a spell at Harry. It was just a binding spell which should bounce off the shield that the new spell would create around Harry.

"Incarcerus!" Minera cried, pointing her wand at Harry who had swished his just in time and yelled the spell that Minerva had just taught them. The ropes that had flown out of Minerva's wand reached Harry and bound him but not as tight as they should have.

Minerva shook her head and vanished them.

"Not quite, Harry. You have to put the emphasis on the ro, okay?" Minerva got back into her position and motioned for Harry to do the same. She hadn't expected him to succeed in the first try but he had to master the charm.

They tried again, and this time it actually worked. Harry looked rather proud. After another round Minerva practiced with Ron and then with Hermione who had the least problems with learning new spells and charms. And, as expected, she mastered that one in her first try too.

"Good. That went really well. I think now we can go and have our well-deserved lunch. If I'm not much mistaken Albus has had Wolky make pizza today," Minerva said with a grin. She knew how much the kids liked pizza. Ron hadn't known it before but Harry and Hermione loved it. And the smell was in the whole house right now.

Since the trio had already disappeared through the door and downstairs, Minerva put away some cushions they had used earlier in their lesson and then left the room. Severus would be here for lunch too, and she wanted a word with him before he stared his lessons for today.

When Minerva arrived in the kitchen, where they usually had lunch, she was greeted by the sight of Albus covered in flour and the largest pizza she had ever seen. Albus had used various topics so there was something for everyone.

"Merlin, Albus, how many people do you expect for lunch? The whole of Hogwarts?" she teased him gently.

Albus chuckled but pointed at the boys and at Severus who had just entered the kitchen.

"No, my dear, merely two growing boys plus our dear Severus."

Ron's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. He had always thought that Severus wasn't too fond of muggles and their way of living but apparently he was mistaken in that one.

"Yes, Ron. While spending quite some time in Italy to recuperate after the war with Voldemort, Severus has developed quite a liking for pizza." The grin on Albus' face grew, when he noticed the frown on Severus'.

Soon everyone was gathered at the large table and tucking in. And if Harry wasn't very much mistaken he even saw the potions master grin at one of the jokes Albus made during luch.

Not much later everyone was sated and a bit sleepy but for the kids the afternoon potions lesson was approaching. Minerva gave Severus a sign to follow her while the trio watched them curiously.

Minerva led Severus to her study which was right next to the master bedroom on the upper floor. She motioned for the young man to sit down while she closed the door.

"Severus, dear, how are you? We haven't had a chance to talk properly for ages." Minerva took a seat next to him on the cosy sofa and looked at him intently.

"Just fine, Minerva." Severus tried to give her a reassuring smile which everyone else would have mistaken as a smirk but Minerva knew Severus well enough. Though she didn't believe him for one second now.

"Severus Snape, you know me better than to lie to me." She gave him a stern look which was usually reserved for misbehaving students. But suddenly Snape felt like one. He knew that look only too well. And he also knew that Minerva had always been able to tell when he was lying.

"It's really nothing, Minerva. Just the stress. You know how it is. The order is rather busy, and then there's Voldemort who wants to see us on a regular basis now." Severus looked away from Minerva.

"And?" she asked gently. She sensed that there was something else.

"For Merlin's sake, Minerva, do you have to be so inquisitive?" Severus jumped up from the sofa and started pacing the room.

"No, I don't have to. But I care about you. And I know that there's something bothering you." Minerva got up and followed Severus who was now standing in front of the large window. He had turned his back to her. Gently, Minerva reached out to him and turned him to face her.

"Tell me what's wrong, love." She looked up and into his face. The boy Severus had certainly grown into a man, but he was still as stubborn as usual where his feelings were concerned. He didn't want anyone to know too much about him… Minerva knew that it was partially fear of being rejected. When Severus' parents had died there had been an aunt who could have taken the boy in but she had refused. The boy was deeply hurt and had created himself kind of a shell to protect himself. But with a lot of patience Minerva had managed to coax him out and get him talking to her.

Sighing, Severus gave in.

"It's Potter," he said simply. Of course he knew that Minerva knew about his dislike towards the boy, and that she didn't really understand it.

"I thought as much. But don't you think you could come to… well… understand each other? You don't have to like him, of course, but I think you should give him a chance. And he should give you a chance. As far as I know you aren't exactly his favourite teacher either But you can't hold him responsible for everything his father did to you. I know James wasn't a saint where you were concerned but that's not Harry's fault. He's really not that bad," Minerva smiled.

The potions master simply nodded. He didn't like the prospect of having to teach the trio but he had given Albus his word, and he intended to keep it. Plus… Well, Minerva did have a point. In a way…

"Okay. You win," Severus gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then left her study. The lesson was about to begin, and he wanted to get over with it. There was still a lot of work to do for the order.


	11. Chapter Eleven

_So, here we go, chapter 11 up. Hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to review ;-)_

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Over the next few days, Severus really tried not to bully Harry and the others during the lessons. Minerva had talked to him once more, and he had to admit that she had a point. Harry couldn't be held responsible for his father's actions which had hurt the young Severus deeply.

Though Severus had always been known as someone who loved to bully others but deep down he had been a sensitive young man who had been hurt too much to trust anyone. Minerva had sensed that and tried to give him the love he deserved. But in front of the other students she couldn't favour him or protect him too much. Otherwise they would have mocked and teased him even more.

One day during lunch, Severus suddenly clutched his left arm. Minerva smiled at him sadly, knowing fully well that Voldemort had again summoned his death eaters. That would mean that Severus would have to leave, to some mission probably where no one knew if he would come out alive and unharmed. And Albus would leave too; the order would take some actions this night.

Minerva sighed as both men stood and left the table. Albus kissed her lovingly on the lips while Severus gave her a peck on the cheek.

After they had left, Minerva looked at the trio. All of them looked rather uncomfortable, especially Harry. He had been quite restless ever since the training started, and every time Severus was summoned to another death eater meeting, the young man thought about the prophecy and his desire to fight Voldemort.

"Harry, be patient. Your time will come, sooner than you expect it to." Minerva covered his hand with hers and squeezed it lightly.

"I know… it's just… I don't know. What you told me about Snape… Professor Snape. I thought about it. And I kind of know how he must have felt. That doesn't make it any better that he has made my life miserable for the last 5 years but he shouldn't have to do this. He shouldn't have to go through tortures and such." Harry said quietly.

Ron looked at his friend slightly puzzled. He had heard Snape's story too, and he kind of felt sorry for him. But the larger part of him wished Snape far away, him and his potions. Ron had struggled through those potions lessons with Harry and Hermione, and though Harry did quite well without the pressure, Ron still couldn't quite grasp it.

"I know, Harry. But I'm glad you've come to some kind of understanding for him." Minerva smiled at the boy and then rose from her chair.

"So, since there won't be any potions lessons this afternoon… what do you think about a swim in the lake?" She winked at the trio and then left the room. Only seconds later, Harry, Ron and Hermione ran past her, obviously quite happy about the unexpected free afternoon. Minerva thought she might enjoy a nice book Albus had gotten her from a muggle shop and spend the afternoon in the garden.

When she walked upstairs the kids had already changed and were on their way back down and outside. Hermione stopped next to her and put her hand on Minerva's shoulder.

"Will you come to? Please," the girl added with a soft smile. They had grown quite close over the last weeks. Minerva had always felt a connection with the clever girl, and Hermione admired Minerva for all she was and knew.

"Well…" Minerva wasn't sure she should go with the kids. Severus might come back and need someone. Lately he had been hurt sometimes when he returned from a meeting.

"Oh please, come along. Just for a swim." Harry grinned at her, remembering the little water fight they had had at their first afternoon they had spent at the lake.

Minerva chuckled. It had been quite a memorable afternoon that day.

"Oh, alright. But not for long. I want to be back before Severus." Lightly she went upstairs to change into her swimsuit and get a towel.

Some minutes later they had arrived by the lake. The kids were already enjoying the warm water while Minerva stood by the shore and laughed about the stunts Harry and Ron tried. It was just too funny.

After some time Hermione started feeling uneasy. She had the definite feeling that they were being watched. But the lake was hidden, and nobody, except for those who lived in the McGonagall manor, knew how to get there.

"Minerva?" She thought it better to tell the older witch about it. After all, you never knew these times.

"Yes, dear. What is it?" Minerva swam over to her.

Suddenly, Hermione felt silly but she just had to tell Minerva.

"Well… I don't know… It sounds stupid but I feel like someone's watching us." She shrugged apologetically.

"No, it's not stupid. I felt that too. And I have a feeling that someone's out there. I've been waiting for a good opportunity to get back to my towel and get my wand." Minerva's body had tensed. All her senses were alert now. Her hearing abilities were very good, and there was definitely someone out there. She wasn't exactly scared but she thought they should be careful.

Carefully, she got back to the shore and casually went back to her towel where her wand lay hidden. She grabbed it when suddenly someone stepped out of the forest that surrounded the lake…


	12. Chapter Twelve

_I realize that Snape is rather OoC but hey. :-) Oh, and of course I don't own any of the characters, I just toy with them. Enjoy. And don't forget to review. ;-)_

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When Minerva turned around, she gave a small cry of relief.

"Severus, are you mad? You gave us quite a scare." Unknowingly, Minerva had clutched her wand tightly, holding it up in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Min. That wasn't my intention." Severus said softly. He could see that Minerva was quite scared. And he saw the scars that Umbridge had given her with the stunners. He stared at them for a moment until Harry cleared his throat.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked. Severus tore his gaze away from Minerva, who covered herself quickly with a towel. It wasn't that Severus hadn't seen her in her swimsuit before but she knew that he was upset about the scars.

"Yeah, I am." Severus looked at Harry, a bit amazed that the boy – the young man – seemed to care about his well-being so much. But then again, they had gotten to get along these last weeks, and though Severus only grudgingly admitted it, Harry wasn't that bad. He wasn't like James. And he felt that Harry had come to a new respect for the man he had hated for so long.

"How was the meeting?" Minerva had draped the towel around her slender frame and stepped next to Severus, putting her hand on his arm.

"It was okay. We just got some instructions. Apparently, the ministry had planned some raids for tonight, and Voldemort wasn't willing to risk any of his death eaters caught. Just wonder why he's suddenly so thoughtful about their well-being," he commented dryly. He would have to report the details of the meeting with Voldemort to Albus later on.

"Do you want to swim with us?" Hermione asked. She, too, had noticed that the potions master wasn't that bad if one just got to know him a bit better. He was still rather moody but he wasn't cruel to them anymore.

"No, thanks. I think I'll just go back to the house and get myself a cup of tea or something." Severus even tried to smile at Hermione. The insufferable know-it-all had turned out quite okay too, much to his surprise. But then again, he had always suspected that the girl just had to be quite nice, otherwise Minerva wouldn't have to be so taken with her.

"I'll go with you." Minerva said quickly and gathered her belongings. "You three enjoy yourselves." She smiled at the trio and waved goodbye to them.

Linking her arm with Severus', she looked at the young man. He seemed pensive today. Not that that was unusual for him, but today it was just different.

When they arrived at the house, Severus headed in the direction of the kitchen while Minerva hurried upstairs to change. The table was set for two, with tea and cookies, when she entered the kitchen.

"I thought you might like some tea too." Severus pulled a chair out for her, and Minerva sat down.

"Yes thank you." She smiled at the young man who sat down next to her. "So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you? Or do I have to tickle it out of you?"

Severus gave her a mock-annoyed look. But he knew it wouldn't do to keep anything from Minerva, so he could tell her right away. That would be better for both of them. He knew how persistent she could be when she sensed that something was wrong with him.

"It's just… I've never realized just how much Umbridge and her puppets hurt you. These scars…" his voice trailed of, and he kept his gaze down. "I've just never really realized how close I had come to losing you." Finally he looked at Minerva, and she could see that he had tears in his eyes.

"Severus… don't. Don't even think of that possibility." Minerva reached out and drew the young man into a tight embrace. Whispering words of comfort, she stroked his back and rocked him gently while he cried. Severus wasn't one to cry easily, Minerva knew that; but since she and Albus were the closest thing to a family he had, that realization was quite a shock to him.

Regaining his composure, Severus pulled away from Minerva and wiped away his tears.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

"What for? For showing that you care for me?" Minerva caressed his cheek. "You can't fool me, Severus Snape. I know that you do care for people, though you want to make everyone believe that's not the case."

"I know." Gratefully Severus took Minerva's hand and squeezed it gently. "And thanks."

"Not for that, dear boy, not for that. You know that I'll be always there for you, when you need me."

"I know, Min." Severus sighed. It had been difficult for him to accept that there was someone who saw right through his icy exterior, right into his heart. But Minerva had known him for so long, she had held him when his parents had died and his aunt had rejected him. She and Albus had celebrated with him when he had finished Hogwarts and graduated from university after his potions studies. They had suffered with him when he had been fooled to join Voldemort's ranks, and they had been the first ones to welcome him back to the light side. And they had helped him getting the job at Hogwarts. He was eternally grateful to them, and seeing Minerva's scars had unsettled him greatly. She was like the mother he had never really had – even when his birth mother was still alive she hadn't really loved her son. And Albus had always been a father figure for Severus. When they had taken over the care for Severus, they had given him all the love he had never known. Now there was Harry, and for the first time in his life, Severus could understand how the boy must feel.

"And I think it's great that you finally convinced Albus to let Harry stay here. I don't know his relatives but it sounds awful, from what I've heard about them." Severus nearly grinned.

"I'm glad you think like that, Severus. He's a good boy. It's really a pity the two of you had such a bad start." Minerva took a cookie chewed it pensively.

"Well, I guess we still have to work on our relationship but I think it has already improved greatly. You know, you were right, he really isn't that bad." Severus said with a low chuckle.

"I told you so." Minerva grinned at him.

Chatting lightly, they sat for another hour, waiting for Albus to return from his Order meeting.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_So here's chapter 13. I want to dedicate that one to Lies. Thanks for being a friend. ;-)_

* * *

The Order meeting hadn't brought any news. So far, Voldemort operated more or less in secret and hadn't made any open move. That brought the Order into a more passive situation as they didn't want to offer the enemy any insight in their plans.

But Albus had arrived in a fantastic mood – not that he wasn't in a good mood anyway most of the time, but he had bought some flowers for his wife and candy for the children. And that included Severus who would be staying with them for a few days.

"Good evening, love." He kissed Minerva gently on the forehead and then gave her the flowers. Red roses had always been her favourites, and he had bought a huge bunch for her.

"Hello. And what are these for?" She inhaled their rich scent deeply.

"Nothing special," Albus shrugged. He didn't need an occasion to buy some flowers for his wife now, did he? With a wink he handed a bag of sweets over to Ron who grinned conspiratorially at him.

"So, what do you want for dinner?" Minerva asked while arranging the flowers in a vase.

Severus got up quickly.

"Well, I thought, since I spoilt your romantic evening last time, why don't I take your three cubs out for dinner and then perhaps a movie or something and you two just enjoy yourselves?" He looked at Albus and saw the familiar twinkle in his eyes brighten up.

Minerva looked at the trio who all nodded.

"Of course, Minerva. There's movie I've wanted to see anyway," Hermione interjected, nudging the boys in the ribs.

"Well, then it's settled I think." Minerva smiled gratefully at Severus. Though she loved her cubs dearly, they were quite a handful. And with the lessons going on and Albus' Order meetings, it was nice to have an evening all to themselves.

About half an hour later, Severus and the trio left the McGonagall manor and apparated to Edinburgh.

"So, which movie do you want to see, Miss Granger?" Severus asked. He had the nasty feeling that it would be some nice girl movie.

"It's called 'Blow Dry'," the girl answered. "And please, sir… Can't you call me Hermione?" She looked at him pleadingly. Hermione didn't really know why this was so important to her but after these last days with Albus, Minerva and Snape it seemed so… cold to be called by her last name.

"Okay… Hermione. Uhm… what is the movie about?" The title indicated something about hair dressing. Which didn't seem such an interesting topic for a movie.

"Well, it's with Alan Rickman, and it's about a hair dressing competition."

Severus raised an eyebrow and looked at the boys who just shrugged.

"What about you two? Do you want to see that movie too?" he asked them. Ron and Harry didn't seem able to make up their minds about that issue but Hermione looked at them with puppy dog eyes and so they nodded.

"Okay, then I think it's 'Blow Dry'," Severus concluded with a sigh. Merlin knew what that movie would turn out to be. And who the heck was Alan Rickman?

"But let's have dinner first. I'm starving." Ron said, looking at a nearby restaurant. So they went in there and ordered.

Over dinner, Severus couldn't help but questioning Hermione further about that movie.

"And who's that… what was his name? Alan Rickman?"

Hermione blushed slightly.

"Oh, he's the male lead, and he's really hot." Now Hermione's cheeks were really flushed, and Ron and Harry couldn't stifle a snort.

"Now, honestly, Hermione. Don't tell me you have a crush on that guy," Ron gulped.

Twenty minutes later they were on their way to the movie theatre, the boys still teasing Hermione about her earlier confession. Severus tried not to show it but somehow these three Gryffindors had managed to amuse him.

Back at the McGonagall manor Albus and Minerva had enjoyed their dinner. Nothing fancy, actually just some left-over from lunch. But they had enjoyed it immensely. Afterwards they had played a nice game of chess; Minerva had beaten Albus spectacularly – as usual actually. Now they had retired in front of the fire place with a mug of hot cocoa each, Minerva snuggled up in Albus' arms.

Gently he kissed the top of her head and caressed her back.

"As nice as it is having Harry, Ron and Hermione here, as nice it is to have an evening just for us." He smiled as she turned her face upwards to look at him.

"I know. Do you regret taking them in?" Minerva raised her hand and started drawing lazy patterns on Albus chest. He shook his head.

"No, it's just that I miss quiet evenings like this, just you and me. And kissing you wherever I want…" His eyes gleamed with mischief as he spoke, and Minerva knew that he had actually more in mind than just kissing. But she knew what he meant. They had never had children, so they had never known what it meant to be careful not to be caught. Even with Severus around it hadn't been like that. Severus had always been a quiet child, and after his parents' death he had withdrawn into some kind of shell. But they had barely noticed that he was even there in the beginning.

But with the trio the house had come alive again; there was a constant buzz of excitement around the place.

"I miss it too. And remind me later to thank Severus for taking them out tonight." Minerva snuggled deeper into Albus' embrace and sighed happily. It had been far too long since they had last enjoyed such an evening with tender kisses and gentle caresses.

Albus placed a long finger under her chin and lifted her face up to him. Gently he brushed his lips over hers.

"I love you, Minerva. Don't ever forget that." Very tenderly he stroked her cheek.

"And I love you, Albus." Minerva knew that they lived in dangerous times. There was an upcoming war, and Albus was the most dangerous threat for Voldemort. So she knew she just had to cherish the time she could spend with her husband. But Minerva was confident. They had survived the war against Grindelwald together and the first was against Voldemort. They knew each other very well, and they fought even better together, since each could anticipate the other's next course of action.

Long before Severus and the trio returned from their outing, Minerva and Albus had retired to their bedroom for a romantic and passionate night.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_I know it's rather short, and I think it sucks, but at least it's another chapter. Please review!_

* * *

When Severus and the trio emerged from the movie theatre, all three men had a slightly disgusted look on their faces while Hermione literally glowed with happiness.

"Honestly, Hermione, I would have thought that you had a better taste," Ron said. He hadn't liked the movie and couldn't understand how Hermione could be so taken with it. The film had been about some hair dressing competition, and Alan Rickman's character had been left by his wife for some girl. And of course he was a former champion of these competitions. Ron shuddered at the pure thought of the movie.

"You just don't understand that, Ron." Hermione said, raising her head a bit higher. But she still had the dreamy look on her face.

"Well, it wasn't that bad," Severus said. Certainly, this wasn't his kind of movie but he had seen worse. Contrary to common belief, he wasn't unaccustomed with muggle habits, and he even visited movie theatres every once in a while.

Harry and Ron looked at Snape in what seemed to be a mild shock. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. Snape was the last person they expected to say something like that.

"What?" Severus looked at the boys with what seemed to be a smile – which shocked them even more. Though they had become accustomed to being around him and had gotten to know him better, they still weren't used to seeing something else than his usual sneer on his face.

"Oh please… even Professor Snape is more open-minded than you – no offence, Professor." Hermione grinned at him apologetically. It was truly amazing how much she had learned about her professors during the last days and weeks. She had even come to like Snape in a way.

Now Harry and Ron were mumbling now under their breaths but Hermione and Snape ignored them, talking about the movie while walking out of town to their apparation site. After checking a watch, Severus had decided that it was late; Albus and Minerva should have had enough time to enjoy themselves. Plus he still had some work to do before he called it a night.

They arrived at the McGonagall manor a couple of minutes later. There was no sign of either Albus or Minerva, so Severus concluded that they had retired to their room. He turned to the trio.

"Well, I guess we should go to bed. It's rather late, and we'll continue with your lessons tomorrow morning. So I suggest you get some rest." He nodded curtly before he left for the provisional laboratory where he conducted some tests on a potion he had developed.

Ron, Harry and Hermione climbed up the stairs. Though none of them was really tired, they decided that Snape was right. Tomorrow would be another exhausting day. Minerva had started some more complicated spells lately, and even Hermione had to concentrate hard in order to get them right.

"Well, see you tomorrow then. Good night." Hermione waved at the boys and then turned towards her bedroom which was right next to the one where Ron and Harry slept.

"Night, Hermione. And sweet dreams," Ron said with a snigger. He knew what Hermione would be dreaming of this night. She had nearly drooled over Alan Rickman in the movie theatre.

"Night. Sleep tight." Harry grinned and disappeared into the boys' room.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron and then entered her room. It had been quite a nice evening. And she thought that Albus and Minerva had definitely deserved to be left alone for a change; there was definitely more excitement in the house than usually during the holidays. But on the other hand they seemed to enjoy having her and the boys around.

She let her thoughts wander while she brushed out her hair and pulled it back into a braid for the night. At first she had been quite annoyed at the thought of Snape staying here with them. But then she had realized that he could be a completely other person than the strict and feared professor they all knew from Hogwarts. She had never suspected that Snape might have another side to him, a softer side. But some things, Minerva had said about him, explained his behaviour. And though Hermione was still rather young, she understood that certain events could change a person. In that case not necessarily for the better, but then again, as Hermione had just found out, Severus' mean behaviour was just the exterior of a person who had been hurt too many times.

Changing into her nightgown, Hermione let out a sigh and then climbed into her bed. Suddenly she was very tired and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Just before she completely drifted away, she wondered if she was about to develop a crush on her potions teacher but decided that she had just started liking him.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Hi folks! Sorry for the delay but currently there have been some things which kept me from writing. One of my doggies has died, and I wouldn't want to kill a character off, which would have been the consequence had I written then. I'd like to thank Lies for being there for me when I needed a friend._

_But I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Don't forget to review. ;-)_

* * *

Severus had retired to his chambers, still inwardly amused about Hermione's infatuation with Alan Rickman. Admitted, he was quite attractive, even he saw that. But still, he had always considered Hermione to be a more sensible girl.

Coming to think of it, he had thought about the girl for quite some time now. No improper thoughts, of course, but he had toyed with the idea of taking in an apprentice for quite some time now. And Hermione seemed to fit all the criteria he was looking for in an apprentice. She wouldn't finish school for another year but perhaps she was interested in doing some more potions and be some kind of assistant to him for now.

Before he finally fell asleep, Severus decided to approach Albus with that subject matter as soon as an opportunity would present itself.

The next morning Minerva woke up as the sunlight tickled her nose through the window. She was snuggled up contently in the arms of her husband who was still fast asleep. Minerva didn't care, she always enjoyed being awake before him and the opportunity to watch him so relaxed. During the day he was so tense which was only natural with all his responsibilities. But when he was asleep the tension was eased away from his face and the lines softened. He seemed to turn back into the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago.

Slowly Albus opened one eye, then the other, only to find his wife watching him intently. He couldn't repress a grin when he saw her, hair all unruly around her head and still a bit sleepy.

"Good morning, love." Carefully he raised his hand and caressed her cheek.

"And a very good morning to you too." Minerva smiled at him lovingly.

Albus yawned heartily. He wasn't an early riser, and usually he preferred to sleep in on weekends. Today was Saturday, and he didn't have any plans. The next order meeting would be on Monday evening, Remus and Severus would be on alert for today and tomorrow. So he would have the whole weekend to spend with Minerva – and the trio. At the moment he wished they weren't there. Not that he didn't enjoy the company of the young Gryffindors but during the school year he didn't see very much of his wife, only in the evenings and even then they couldn't be sure that there weren't any interruptions. But perhaps they would come up with something they would all enjoy.

"What about breakfast?" Minerva seemed to be very energetic today – despite their rather passionate night which meant that they didn't get much sleep.

"Okay, okay, I'll get up." Albus chuckled and got out of bed. He knew that he didn't stand a chance of staying in bed when his wife was in that mood.

While dressing he thought about what they could do today. He remembered that Minerva had always enjoyed the zoo, so he thought it would be a nice treat to apparate to London and visit the zoo there. When he told Minerva, it earned him a squeal and a kiss from his wife.

It was still rather early in the morning, and though Minerva knew that the children had come home rather late the other night, she decided to wake them. They could spend the whole day in London, first the zoo and then perhaps a visit to Diagon Alley. But to Minerva's surprise, all three of them were already wide awake and up.

"Now what happened to you? I thought you would prefer to sleep in today." Minerva smiled at Hermione who was just trying to get her hair into a braid which proved rather difficult. With some quick movements Minerva was behind her and took the thick hair into her delicate hands, braiding it with practiced ease.

"Thanks. And we thought we could do something together today. I don't know… we thought perhaps you would like to go somewhere with us? No lessons today, you know." Hermione winked at Minerva.

"Well, I'm glad you had the same idea. Albus suggested that we go to the London zoo. How does that sound?" She looked at the boys who nodded. Hermione gave a small squeal.

"Yeah, that would be wonderful." She quickly hugged Minerva.

"Very well then. Go and have some breakfast before we leave." Minerva turned to leave Hermione's room when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned again and looked in Hermione's brown eyes.

"Uhm… I mean… does Severus… come with us?" the girl asked.

Minerva smiled. She had noticed that Hermione seemed to have taken a liking in the potions master, and though she had first thought that the girl might develop a crush on him, she had dismissed that thought. Even if she did, Severus would be sensible enough not to start anything with her as long as Hermione was a student. That meant if he returned her feelings then.

"I'll ask him, okay? He is supposed to share the watch for the order this weekend but perhaps Remus can take over today." Minerva nodded and then finally left the room, on her way to find Severus.

It didn't took Minerva long to locate the young man. In fact, Severus was still in his room and still asleep. It was not like him to sleep in, and Minerva had to smile when she entered his bedroom and saw him snuggled up under the covers, rolled into a tight ball.

Checking her watch, Minerva silently debated with herself if she should wake him or not, but the look on Hermione's face made her decide in favour of it. Plus Severus wouldn't like to sleep all day, he would be furious with himself for being so 'weak' as he saw that.

Softly Minerva stroked over Severus' head, easing the hair out of his face, before planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Severus, dear. Wake up."

Mumbling something indistinguishable, Severus began to stretch and slowly opened his eyes. He was quite surprised to find Minerva standing beside his bed; it had been quite some time since that had last happened.

"Good morning. Is something wrong?" His mind had started working immediately. He could only come up with some kind of catastrophe that made Minerva wake him in the middle of the night.

"Good morning. No, nothing's wrong." Minerva said.

Severus took a look around the room and noticed that it wasn't dark outside anymore but bright daylight.

"What time is it?" Severus pushed himself up from the bed and pulled the covers back to get out.

"8 am. Albus had suggested we spend the day in the zoo in London, and Hermione asked if you would like to come with us. That's why I thought I could wake you." Minerva stepped back from the bed to grant him space to get up, looking down at him.

He looked at her quite surprised.

"Pardon? Miss Granger… uhm… Hermione wants me to come along?" Severus couldn't believe it but Minerva nodded.

"Well, I'd love to but I have order duty," Severus said regretfully. He couldn't believe that Hermione actually wanted him to join them but apparently she did. And he couldn't believe that anyone could imagine him enjoying a day in the zoo. But then again the three Gryffindors had gotten to know him quite well over the past weeks, and especially Hermione had discovered more than one new side of him with her sharp mind and close observations.

"Don't worry. Albus had apparently thought about you joining in too. Alastor will cover for you today." Minerva couldn't suppress a grin at the look on the younger man's face.

"Hey, so I didn't really have a choice then it seems." Severus tried to appear upset but failed miserably. Minerva could look straight through this mask that worked so well with all the students.

"Oh, nonsense. And now, up with you and get some breakfast. My Gryffindors are already downstairs, so hurry up if you want to get something to eat." Minerva lightly slapped him on the arm and then left his room.

She sighed softly. It had been so long since there had been so much life in this large house. And even though she enjoyed having Albus usually to herself over the summer holidays, she enjoyed every minute. She loved having Harry, Ron and Hermione around and Severus, of course. It had been so long since she had had the possibility to look after him. At school she couldn't do that.

When she entered the kitchen she found all four of her 'adopted children' sitting at the table, chatting about yesterday's movie. She could make out that Hermione seemed to fancy the male lead and the boys lacked understanding for that. Severus could only roll his eyes at the outburst and hope for the best.

"Well, I'm glad you had a great evening." Minerva helped herself to a cup of hot chocolate which Albus preferred for breakfast – a habit she had taken over years ago.

"Yeah, we did. Though I just don't see what's so great about that actor guy." Ron shook his head.

"And who are we talking about?" Minerva knew quite some muggle actors since Albus had made it a tradition to take her out to a movie show every once in a while.

"Alan Rickman," Hermione said, a dreamy expression manifesting itself on her face. Ron and Harry looked slightly disgusted while Severus had to suppress a smile.

"Oh, him. Yes, I have to admit he certainly is attractive." Minerva grinned at the boys who had a rather shocked expression on their faces and Severus nearly choked on his tea.

"What?" Minerva looked at the three men with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing. I just… didn't expect you to say something like that. You certainly still manage to surprise me." Severus grinned now openly. It was rather amazing. He had known Minerva for so long now, and he hadn't known that.

Minerva smiled enigmatically.

"Well, I think there are some more things that would surprise you if you ever found out." With a wink she rose from her chair and left the kitchen to gather the things they would need for the outing.

"Who would have guessed…" Harry said softly, but with a smile on his face.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_So, here's the next chapter. For all of you who are wondering: This is not gonna be SS/HG. So please enjoy and review._

* * *

When Severus and the trio emerged from the kitchen, Minerva looked at them critically. The kids had chosen clothes which made it easy to blend in with the muggles but Severus was dressed in his usual black attire.

"Severus, dear, I'm afraid you'll have to change. At least get another shirt or something. And no robes," Minerva added with a wink. She knew how Severus disliked wearing anything other than his billowing robes and the black suit underneath. But muggles weren't really accustomed to seeing wizard clothes.

Severus looked down at himself, not liking the idea but he knew Minerva was right. He was about to start regretting the idea of joining the others in this outing when Minerva took out her wand and simply transfigured his robes and the black shirt. Now he was wearing his black trousers combined with a white shirt.

"I look like a waiter," he complained but Minerva shook her head.

"Nonsense. You look just fine." But she couldn't suppress a smile. This was typically Severus.

"If you say so…" the younger man sighed.

"I do. And now we just have to wait for Albus – oh, there he is." Minerva smiled appreciating at husband who had dressed in some simple dark blue cotton trousers, a matching jacket and a white shirt underneath. And he had shortened his hair and beard.

"You look lovely, darling." She kissed him gently before spinning around to show him her attire. She had chosen a light summer dress which ended just below the knee.

"And you look absolutely stunning, Min." Albus patted her on the small of her back before turning to the others who grinned at each other at the obvious display of affection.

"So, are you ready? We'll take a Portkey to some place close to the zoo and then walk the rest." Albus took out a pocket watch and indicated for the others to touch it. Then he murmured an incantation to activate the Portkey and off they were.

Within seconds they landed safely on their feet in what seemed to be a small park. Albus took a quick look around, offered Minerva his arm and then led the way to the zoo. Ron and Harry followed while Hermione fell back a bit to walk beside her potions master and ask about some theory she had read some days ago.

Arriving at the zoo Albus bought tickets for all of them and they entered.

"Where do you want to go first?" Minerva asked.

"I'd like to see the lions," Hermione said. Minerva grinned at her. The girl really reminded her of herself when she was that age.

"That makes two of us. How about you guys?" Minerva looked at the four men.

"Oh, do we go Gryffindor now? If that's so I'd like to see the snakes," Severus said with a grin. He couldn't help teasing Minerva with her affection for cats of all kind, let alone her pride in her Gryffindors.

"Uhm… I don't know. The bears maybe? And the elephants." Harry said. The last time he had been to the zoo had been with his relatives when he had set that python on Dudley. True, it had been an accident, and he was now able to control his magic but he still didn't like the idea of a python running wild in the middle of a crowd.

"Yeah, that would be cool," Ron chimed in.

"Well, according to this map these animals are all scattered over the area, so I think we'll just start the tour," Albus said who had studied a map of the zoo which was at the entrance.

So they set off. Minerva and Hermione were lucky; the lions were the first animals on their list they encountered.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Minerva whispered. The lion looked straight at her but didn't blink or move at all. He didn't seem to see her as a threat or a nuisance. Another woman came and stood right next to Minerva. She looked from Minerva to the lion and back, then kind of pushed Minerva out of her way to get a better look at the animal. Suddenly the so far calm lion jumped up and roared, looking menacingly at the strange woman. Minerva had been caught off-guard and stumbled but Severus had caught her.

"I think you've made a friend there," he said, pointing at the lion who had settled back down, again looking at Minerva.

"Yes, I think he can sense my feline animagus form," Minerva whispered back. Severus just nodded. Animals could be rather perceptive when it came to wizards and their animagus forms. Severus wasn't an animagus himself but he had been able to observe Minerva on several occasions as she dealt with animals. Most of them seemed to like her, especially cats. Only dogs seemed to have a problem with her.

Albus and the trio had already gone ahead to the next enclosure. Minerva followed swiftly but Severus lingered a bit before the lion, looking at it intently. Suddenly someone bumped into him. Severus turned angrily to see who had been so clumsy but when he saw the young woman standing next to him and apologizing profusely, he just couldn't be angry anymore. She wasn't exactly pretty, in the general sense of speaking, but she was beautiful to him.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. Are you okay?" she asked, her hand on his elbow.

"Yes, I am. No need to be sorry, that can happen." Severus smiled at her, hoping that it would look like a smile and not his customary sneer. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you." The young woman smiled and was about to turn around when Severus knew he just had to stop her from leaving.

"Uhm… may I invite you for a drink? Over there's a small café." He pointed somewhere to his left, not sure there even was something.

"Yes, why not."

And suddenly Severus had all forgotten about Minerva, Albus and the trio. He had only eyes for the woman next to him as they went to find the café he had been talking about.

After a couple of minutes of waiting for Severus, Minerva grew impatient.

"Albus, do you know where Severus is? He was right behind us in the lion enclosure but he seems to have disappeared." She sounded worried.

"No, Minerva, he hasn't. Look, over there." Hermione indicated a point on the other side of a lawn where Severus walked with a strange dark-blonde woman. Minerva looked over and raised an eye brow.

"And who may that be?" she said with a smile on her face.

"I have no idea, but she must be something special if he forgot to inform us that his plans have changed." Albus said with a chuckle. It seemed Severus had finally found a woman he was truly interested in. And that in the zoo of all places.

"Well, she certainly looks nice enough from here," Ron said, trying to get a better look at the stranger.

"I think we should give them some privacy and not spy on them. If Severus wants to inform us he will do so. In the meantime I suggest we continue our tour." Minerva said resolutely, ushering them further and away from the couple who had found a nice table on the terrace of the café.

Albus, Minerva and the trio spent the rest of the afternoon observing all kinds of animals. The trio managed to find the pet zoo, much to Albus' delight. The baby goats kept following him everywhere, trying to get something nice from him.

"What is that with you Dumbledore men that you can't stay away from goats?" Minerva asked in mock annoyance. Albus' brother Aberforth bred goats, and actually Albus was quite fond of them too. Fortunately not as much as his brother but still…

"Hey, I'm innocent. They just follow me," Albus replied laughing. Finally he was able to get away from them but not after they nearly ripped of the pocket of his jacket in their search for food.

Minerva shook her head but laughed. Albus would always be a child at heart, but that was part of why she fell in love with him in the first place. He could always make her laugh and remind her that there were also other things in life than just work and duty.

"Come on. I think the zoo is about to close. We should get out of here." After checking her watch Minerva saw that she was right indeed. They had actually spent the whole day in the zoo, without even noticing how time flew by.

"I wonder if Severus is already at home," Hermione said softly which earned her a strange look from Ron and Harry.

"Please don't develop a crush on him!" Ron said forcefully.

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"No, of course not. He's my teacher. But I …" She couldn't really explain that she was just curious about the strange woman. In a strange way she had come to like Severus Snape, and she cared about his happiness. Seeing Minerva interact with him had given her a pretty good idea why he had become the man he was.

"Let's go back to that park so we can take the Portkey home." Albus shoved them behind a bush and activated the Portkey which brought them back to McGonagall manor.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_Hi there. I know it took me quite long to write this chapter but exams were up and I just didn't have the time. But thanks for still reading. :-)_

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When the five of them arrived at the McGonagall manor, the children set off to their rooms immediately. It had been a long day, and after a short stop to fetch some dinner they were all rather tired.

Albus looked at Minerva over the rim of his glasses, slightly amused. He could see that Minerva was curious where Severus was and – more importantly – with whom. Of course he was just as curious, after all Severus had never been lucky with women so far, and Albus wanted the young potions master to be happy. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without Minerva and her love, and he knew that Severus needed yet to experience what that meant.

"You know, my dear, I think I'll go to bed too. It's already late, and there'll be an Order meeting tomorrow morning at Grimmauld Place." Albus put his hand on the shoulder of Minerva, who had sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace in the living room. She was gazing into the flames thoughtfully, but looked up when she felt Albus' hand.

"Oh, right. Well, I guess I'll stay here just a little longer. The boy might come home, and maybe he's hungry…" Minerva's voice trailed off. She knew that Severus would have taken the woman to some restaurant if he was really interested, so the chances of him being hungry were rather slim. But one could never know. Plus she didn't want to wait 'till the following morning to learn who that mysterious woman was.

"Well, goodnight then, my love. Don't be too long. You know how badly I sleep with your bed empty," Albus said with a wink. Minerva smiled gently and kissed him gently on the lips as he bent down to her.

"Sleep well, love." One last kiss and Albus was gone. Minerva looked around the room, searching for something to occupy herself with while she was waiting for Severus. She found a book Poppy had given her just before the holidays had started, but so far she hadn't found the time to read it. Snuggling up in the corner of the sofa, Minerva opened the book and started reading.

When Severus came home about an hour later, he found a sleeping Minerva rolled up on the couch with a book on her belly, the glasses at an odd angle on her nose. Smiling to himself, Severus took the book and placed it on the coffee table before gently shaking Minerva awake.

"Min! Min, wake up." Severus couldn't help but smile. A sleepy Minerva was certainly quite a sight.

"Oh, Severus, you're back. What time is it?" Minerva pushed herself up in a more comfortable position and looked at the younger man.

"Oh, just about 11pm. You didn't have to wait up for me, you know." Severus grinned slightly and offered her his hand to stand up which she accepted gratefully.

"I know but I thought…" Minerva looked at him, and she knew she couldn't fool him. "Alright, I was curious who that woman was who captured your attention so much you didn't even tell us you were leaving." Minerva went to the kitchen, with Severus following her. He knew Minerva would make some hot cocoa, just as she used to when he was younger.

"Well, her name is Kathryn Mitchell, and she's a muggle. But she's… I don't know, I can't really describe it. The moment I saw her, I knew that I had to find a way to get to know her. Apparently she felt the same, she was quite intrigued by me," Severus stated in a rather satisfied tone of voice.

"You didn't use legilimens on her, did you?" Minerva asked sternly. Judging from the suddenly guilty look on his face, he had.

"Sorry, Minerva, I just couldn't help it. But that was about the only time I did." Severus tried to defend himself but realized at the same instant that he had made another mistake.

"About the only time? What else?" Minerva demanded to know. She put down the mugs of cocoa in front of Severus and herself, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Well… I… God, Minerva you know that I'm rather inexperienced when it comes to women. Well, at least in that department," Severus said with a blush.

"Yes, dear, I do know that. But using legilimens is like cheating." Minerva scolded gently, but she had a smile on her lips so Severus knew that she wasn't really angry with him.

"I know. But she's the most amazing woman I've ever met. She's clever and beautiful and funny…" Severus' face took on a dreamy look and he seemed to be miles away. Minerva smiled to herself. It was good to see that there finally was a woman who saw past that rather icy exterior of the young Slytherin. And perhaps it was good that this Kathryn Mitchell was a muggle. After all, Severus would have the chance to start a relationship with someone who didn't know about Voldemort and Severus' past as a Death Eater, someone who wouldn't judge him for things he had done when he was in a desperate situation.

"I'm glad then. When will you meet her again?" Minerva asked.

"Oh… uhm… I thought, maybe tomorrow? It's Sunday after all, and the children don't have lessons. I'll have to see how we proceed after that. I'll get her something nice tomorrow morning."

"Severus, I hate to disappoint you, but I'm afraid there's an Order meeting first thing in the morning. But hopefully it won't take long, so you can be off to find a nice gift for that charming lady." Minerva patted Severus' hand and then rose, taking the empty mugs with her to the kitchen sink.

"Oh, right, I totally forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me." Severus was still sitting at the table, gazing ahead without really looking at something.

"Well, dear, I'll call it a night now. Sleep tight and sweet dreams." Minerva kissed him gently on the forehead and noticed with an amused smile that he didn't really notice anything around him.

The next morning promised to become a glorious summer day, with sun and everything. The Order meeting was early in the morning, so Minerva and Albus had already returned when Harry, Ron and Hermione came down for breakfast. Albus had to dash off for another secret mission but Minerva was free to spend her day to her liking.

"Good morning, all of you. Did you sleep well?" Minerva poured herself some pumpkin juice and then joined the trio at the kitchen table. Albus had already left, after a quick hello to the children.

"Yeah, thanks. Any plans for the day?" Hermione asked while buttering her toast.

"No, not yet. Well, actually there's a book which I would like to read but otherwise not."

"Oh, well, we just thought we'd like to go to the lake and spend the day there. Care to join us, Minerva?" Harry asked. He knew that Minerva was likely to worry about Albus while he was away, which was perfectly normal of course but he thought that it would be nice if they were able to distract her a bit.

"Sure, why not. I can read there as well." Minerva smiled at the boy. He had grown up so much over the last weeks. Of course Minerva knew that Harry tried to take her mind off Albus and his mission, and actually she was grateful for it.

So the four of them spent a very pleasant day at the lake, the boys enjoying water fights while Hermione and Minerva talked about some new theories and some questions Hermione had had for quite some time. It turned out that the girl seemed to be very interested in becoming an animagus, and wanted to know a lot of things about how to achieve that goal.

In the late afternoon, they went back to the house; Ron had caught a slight sunburn but Minerva took care of that with a healing spell. After changing back into their usual clothes Harry announced that they would like to go to the nearby village, just to have a look around. Minerva nodded, wondering when Severus would be back from his date.

Time went by rather quickly, and soon it was late in the evening. The trio had long gone to bed, and Minerva had curled up on the couch in her animagus form and fallen asleep while waiting for Albus and Severus.

When Severus came home around midnight, he found a sleeping tabby cat on the living room sofa. He smiled and picked her up gently, carrying her up to the master bedroom so she would be more comfortable. Just as he was about to enter the bedroom, Harry's door opened and the sleepy boy emerged on his way to the bathroom. When he saw the potions master with the cat in his arms he was suddenly wide awake.

"Is this Minerva? Is she alright?" he asked in a worried voice.

"Shh, you'll wake her. Yes, she's okay, just asleep," Severus whispered back, stroking the tabby's back softly.

"Oh." Harry said. "Well, goodnight then." He turned around and shut the bathroom door behind him with a soft click.

Suddenly the cat stirred in Severus' arms and he smiled at her.

"Hi there, sleepyhead. I thought you might prefer your bed to the couch." Gently he put her down to the floor so she could change back into herself without ending up still being in his arms.

"Thanks, Severus. But you know that wasn't necessary. You could have woken me." Minerva winked. "So how was the date?" she asked, ushering him into her bedroom so they could talk without disturbing the others.

"It went really well. She's really a wonderful lady. We took a walk in Hyde Park today and had dinner afterwards." Severus smiled at the older woman who had sat down on her bed.

"That's wonderful, my dear. But may I ask you something? What did you tell her about yourself? I mean… I guess you haven't told her that you're a wizard."

"No, of course not. I told her that I'm a chemistry teacher at a school in Scotland – which isn't exactly a lie anyway. But that's about it. We've talked about so much, but not me." Severus said sheepishly. He knew that – sooner or later – that topic would come up and that he needed a cover story. And he would need another cover story should he be seen with Kathryn by some Death Eater or other member of the magical community.

"Well, that's a great idea. Not too far from the truth." Minerva smiled at Severus with one of those smiles that told him that she was truly happy for him. But then Minerva couldn't suppress a yawn.

"Sorry. I guess it's rather late. But you'll have to tell me all about that woman soon, okay?" Minerva patted his arm.

"Of course. And thanks for worrying so much." Severus hugged the petite woman tightly and then kissed her goodnight on the cheek. "Sleep well, Min."

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**Please review. :-)**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

_And another update. Hope you like it. And don't forget to review. ;-)_

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A couple of days later it was Harry's birthday. The last days and weeks had been so filled with activity that he had completely forgotten about it. On his birthday he was still fast asleep when he heard some ruffling noise behind him in the room. He dismissed it as Ron moving in his sleep or probably going to the bathroom. Suddenly Harry sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Harry. Happy birthday to you!" Ron, Hermione, Albus, Minerva and Severus stood at the foot end of his bed, singing and grinning at the stunned expression on his face.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Hermione said before she practically jumped on his bed, hugging him tightly.

"A very happy birthday, my boy." Albus winked at him while Minerva changed places with Hermione and hugged him too. "All the best, Harry." Minerva kissed him gently on the cheek before handing him his present.

"Harry, happy birthday." Even Severus couldn't suppress a smile at the look on Harry's face. It was a look of utter surprise which was replaced by happiness when he finally realized that he wasn't dreaming.

"You look a bit stupid with your mouth open, mate." Ron grinned before handing Harry another present.

Harry quickly shut his mouth but he still wasn't able to think straight.

"I… I'm sorry," he grinned.

"Oh please, don't be. I guess you've never had a proper birthday party, so tonight we'll celebrate. How does that sound?" Minerva asked, smiling. She had always loved having birthday parties for Severus, and now she would do her best to give Harry an unforgettable birthday.

"That sounds great." Harry had finally managed to get a word out and grinned at Minerva. It was right; he had indeed never had a proper birthday party. In fact, the Dursleys had rarely remembered his birthday.

"Well… how about breakfast then for now?" Minerva asked, rising from Harry's bed.

"I'll be down in a minute. Just let me get dressed." Harry felt like he had never felt before. He felt loved and appreciated, and he knew that he had finally found something like a family. Of course he had always been welcome at The Burrow, and Mr and Mrs Weasley had been nothing but kind and warm towards him. But there he was always just one among several kids. But with Minerva and Albus he felt … special.

When the others had left his room, Harry started dressing. He hadn't opened his presents yet, as he intended to do so downstairs with the others.

A couple of minutes later Harry entered the kitchen. The table had been set beautifully, a bunch of flowers completing the arrangement. Albus was already seated at the head of the table, his usual place when they had meals together, while Hermione, Ron and Severus aided Minerva in preparing breakfast for all of them.

Albus was studying some parchment which seemed to have arrived by an urgent owl. The bird was still waiting patiently next to Albus, eyeing the toast longingly. Harry took pity in the animal, broke off a piece of bread and held it out to the beautiful barn owl. The bird hooted gratefully and took the toast from Harry's fingers.

When he had finished reading, Albus rose from his chair, a grave look on his face. He went over to Minerva who was just preparing scrambled eggs.

"My dear, I'm afraid I have bad news."

Minerva turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"What's wrong?" She couldn't believe that today of all days… But the evil didn't stick to a schedule, and Minerva had a suspicion that the news had something to do with Voldemort and his followers.

"I won't be able to attend the party tonight. I have to be off immediately. Voldemort seems to plan some attacks; at least that's what our spies found out. We have to gather to strike before the Death Eaters can." Albus looked rather worried. There wouldn't be time for the relaxed breakfast they had planned. He would have to leave right now.

"I'll be right with you, Albus. I…" Minerva wanted to put the spoon away and get her cloak but Albus stopped her.

"No. Minerva, you still don't have a clear bill of health. And I don't want you to get attacked again." Minerva wanted to protest but Albus put his finger on her lips, silencing her.

"I know, my love. I know that you want to take part in this fight. But please, stay here this time. When you're cleared, you're welcome to fight at my side." Gently he kissed her on the lips, knowing that there was always the danger he wouldn't return from one of those missions. And he knew that Minerva was aware of that risk as well. But right now she still wasn't up to fighting.

"I love you, Albus. Take care of yourself." Tears shimmered in Minerva's eyes when she looked at her husband.

"Don't worry. I'll be back. Severus, I think you should come with me for the moment. Harry, Ron, Hermione, take care of Minerva, please. And be careful."

The children just nodded at the words of their headmaster. This must be really bad if he was so worried. Severus kissed Minerva on the cheek and squeezed her hand. "I'll have an eye on him, don't worry," he whispered.

Minerva simply nodded. She felt like she couldn't move at all. It wasn't like her to be so paralyzed just because Albus had to go on a mission for the order. But today was different. She had a feeling of foreboding when he left. And he had indeed seemed rather worried.

Hermione went over to the older witch and put her arm around Minerva's slender shoulders.

"He'll be fine. After all, he's the greatest wizard of our time."

Minerva turned her head and looked at the young woman. "Thanks, Hermione," she whispered.

Ron and Harry didn't really know what to do now. It seemed that Minerva had somehow lost her stride but the boys knew that it would be best to keep her occupied so she wouldn't think of Albus and the other order members all the time.

Breakfast was taken in silence. The trio didn't dare to voice their concerns; Minerva seemed already worried enough as it was. As the hours passed by, Ron and Hermione tried to find something to occupy both Harry and Minerva with. Harry seemed to have forgotten about his birthday; his presents lay still unopened on the kitchen table. Minerva had sat down on the couch in the living room, staring in to the flames. She wasn't quite sure what made her so uneasy about today's Order assignment but she knew that something would happen.

"Here, Minerva." Hermione handed the older witch a mug of tea, still hot and steaming. Minerva smiled at the girl gratefully.

"Thanks, dear." Minerva took the mug and sipped the hot liquid carefully. "I'm sorry I spoilt Harry's birthday. But… I don't know I have a really bad feeling about today." She smiled apologetically.

"It's okay. I really don't mind. Besides I have to admit that I have a strange feeling about it too. Voldemort seems to be … I don't know… restless is perhaps the best word to describe it. He's definitely up to something." Harry had entered the room, carrying another mug of tea, and sat down next to Minerva.

Minerva just nodded. It had been clear that something was about to happen sooner or later. She had hoped it would be later but apparently Voldemort was in some kind of rush all of a sudden.

"I know. That's what makes me so anxious."

It was already time for dinner when the four of them finally got up from their places around the coffee table in the living room and went to the kitchen. They had skipped lunch, and at least the boys seemed somewhat hungry. The house elf had prepared a simple dinner for them, just some sandwiches and a green salad, but though Minerva knew that she had to eat, she only picked at her food.

Hermione tried to persuade her to at least have some salad but Minerva didn't seem to be able to eat at the moment. The trio exchanged worried looks but didn't say anything. They still hoped that Minerva would get hungry enough to eat sooner or later.

Ron glanced at his watch. "What do you think, should we try to call HQ to get some information?" He looked at the others.

"I don't think that would make much sense. Nobody will be there. I guess they'll all be on that mission, fighting against Voldemort," Hermione pointed out. Minerva had grown quieter over the past hours. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Oh, right," Ron said with a sheepish look on his face. He wished he could have gone out with the others, with his family to fight. But he also knew that he wasn't up to it yet. It had been pure luck that they had survived the events of last term at the Ministry of Magic.

"They'll be back unharmed." Hermione said, trying to sound convinced but she couldn't quite help to worry. It wasn't only Albus and Severus, but also the Weasleys. Ron's parents and his brothers were in the order too, so they would be fighting today too.

"I hope so. Perhaps I should try to contact my parents." Ron got up from the table and marched to the living room to try to call his parents via the floo network. A couple of minutes later he came back. "They're back. But I think something happened, though they didn't want to tell me."

Minerva looked at the boy. Her face was pale but when she heard movement at the front door, she was up and out of the kitchen in the blink of an eye.

"Severus!" Minerva exclaimed, rushing over to the wizard who looked bruised and battered. "What happened? And where's Albus?"

Severus looked grave when Minerva mentioned her husband's name.

"Minerva… Albus was captured. I think he's alive but Voldemort took Albus with him. We don't know yet where he is…" Severus was just in time to catch Minerva's suddenly limp form. Herfears had been confirmed. The tension of the day together with the horrible news had made Minerva faint.

Severus caught the petite form of his colleague and friend in his arms but he winced slightly as he did so. Ron and Harry rushed over to him to take Minerva from him and carry her upstairs while Hermione had to drag Severus practically to the kitchen to treat his wounds.

"How… how did it happen?" she asked while cleaning the cuts and bruises all over Severus upper body.

"Well, we were informed that there would be some attacks at Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and some other wizarding communities all over Britain. I went in disguise with Albus and some others to Hogsmeade where we soon located some Death Eaters. Unfortunately we were outnumbered. I still don't know how Voldemort managed to get Albus but suddenly they were … just gone."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

_Hi everyone, I'm sorry it took me so long to bring this story to an end but somehow it seemed to have outrun itself. But I decided that it needs one last chapter, and though it's not really satisfactory, at least it's an ending to the story. Would be nice if you reviewed._

_To Lies, who kicked me into writing the last chapter. ahem ;-)_

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Harry and Ron had brought Minerva to her bedroom and laid her down carefully on the bed. She didn't seem to care anymore what happened to her; her face seemed curiously blank. It seemed that, with Albus, all her willpower had gone as well.

Ron looked at Harry uncomfortably. He didn't really know what to do. But Harry just sat down next to Minerva, took her hand in his and caressed it gently while whispering comforting words to her. Harry couldn't quite believe either that Voldemort would have been able to overpower Albus so easily but at the moment he was also worried about Minerva.

Slowly, the black-haired witch seemed to realize where she was, and she turned her head to Harry.

"Harry… what happened?" she asked. Minerva couldn't quite remember how she had ended up in her bedroom and on her bed, the only thing she did remember where Severus' horrible words. That Albus had been taken by Voldemort.

"You fainted. Severus caught you, and Ron and I carried you upstairs," Harry said quietly. He eyed his teacher cautiously when Minerva tried to sit up but when he saw that she seemed better, he helped her along.

"I have to go downstairs. I need to talk to Severus." A spark of determination was back in Minerva's eyes, and Ron let out a relieved sigh. He could handle an angry, determined or happy McGonagall all day but that desperate one had been… scary.

"Sure. But let us help you." Both Ron and Harry took one of Minerva's arms and led her downstairs into the kitchen where Hermione had finished cleaning Severus' wounds. The girl was about to put the utensils, she had used, away when the three of them entered. She rushed over to Minerva and hugged her tightly.

"We'll find him, Minerva." Hermione hoped that her voice didn't betray her fears but apparently she succeeded. Minerva hugged her back and nodded shortly before she stepped over to Severus.

"I need your help, Severus." Minerva's voice seemed calm and composed as she spoke to the potions master but he could see that, on the inside, she was shattered.

"Of course, Minerva. We'll leave at once." Severus took his colleague's hand in his and squeezed it gently. He knew that it was dangerous for Minerva to go out fighting even though she hadn't fully recovered from the stunner attack just a couple of weeks ago. But Severus also knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against Minerva, should he just as much as try to stop her from going to Albus' rescue.

The trio stood next to each other, looking at the wizard and witch. Hermione could sense that Harry stiffened when Severus mentioned to go looking for Albus, but she wanted to help to find Albus too.

Since all of them were facing away from the kitchen door, nobody noticed the tall wizard entering the kitchen. He looked battered and bruised and was limping but nonetheless, he looked glad to be there.

"Min." The word hung in the air as if time suddenly stood still. Of course it didn't but it seemed that way to all of them.

Slowly, Minerva turned around to see if her ears had betrayed her. She went pale when she saw the tall figure in the doorway, let out a sob and then raced forward to fling her arms around him.

"Albus!" Minerva buried her face in Albus' beard before she raised her head to kiss him fiercely. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but these were tears of happiness. Albus held her tight and covered her face with kisses, whispering tender words of comfort and reassurance to his beloved wife.

"I'm so sorry I gave you a fright, my darling," he said.

Severus had risen from his chair and walked over to the happy reunited couple.

"Albus, how…" He couldn't quite believe that his employer was back, but of course he was happy about it. Nonetheless it was still curious.

"Voldemort took you. You were just gone all of a sudden, there was nothing I could do," Severus whispered.

Albus whispered something in Minerva's ear and she let go of him so that Albus could pull the young potions master in a tight embrace.

"I know, Severus. Don't worry. But Voldemort didn't take me. Though I'm sure it must have seemed that way. Actually Voldemort and I just chose another site for a battle, just the two of us." Albus seemed quite pleased with himself though he felt a bit guilty for worrying everyone.

"Did you…" Severus yanked back the sleeve on his left arm and searched for the dark mark which was burnt into his skin there. Well, at least it used to be. For as much as he was looking, the mark was gone. Severus looked at Albus with an unbelieving look in his eyes. He had been in Voldemort's services for so long, he couldn't quite imagine that the dark wizard was gone.

"Yes, Severus… I killed him. Well, actually he killed himself," Albus said with a chuckle.

"What?" Minerva couldn't quite believe her ears. Had Albus just said that Voldemort, the darkest wizard of all times, had killed himself?

"Well, yes, he did. He thought he could outsmart me and tried to use a rather ancient spell. Luckily I knew that one and a shield spell which was strong enough to protect me from it. The spell backfired and hit Voldemort." Now Albus was positively beaming at them.

"But…" Harry chimed in. "Are you sure he's gone for good this time?"

"Yes, Harry, I am." Albus winked at the young man before he turned back to his wife and Severus.

"Severus, could you please inform the other Order members about the latest events and tell them to join us for dinner here tonight?" Albus asked, looking at Minerva who gave him an approving nod.

"Yes, of course." Severus nodded and left the kitchen to floo everyone.

Hermione, who seemed to have been frozen to the spot, was finally able to move again and she rushed over to Albus to hug him. Ron and Harry looked at her, slightly embarrassed, but then Minerva came over and pulled both of them in a hug. Grinning, the two boys hugged her back, each of them kissing one of her cheeks.

When Severus came back in to the room, he was quite surprised by the sight that met him. But when Minerva beamed at him with an uncharacteristically large smile he couldn't help but smile back.

"It's good to have the family back together," she said.

**The End**


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